Relative hemp newcomers Louisiana, New Jersey and Ohio have leapfrogged states with more established hemp programs in winning first approval for their 2020 regulations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Friday that those three states are the first with approved hemp regulations.
The three plan to allow commercial cultivation for the first time in 2020.
The USDA also approved hemp plans from three American Indian tribes:
Federal law allows states, territories and tribes to take the lead on regulating hemp production – but only with the blessing of the USDA.
Requirements include the collection of geographic data on hemp producers and a plan to destroy any hemp that exceeds the federal limit of 0.3% THC.
The USDA’s baseline regulations came out at the end of October, starting a 90-day clock for the agency to start approving or rejecting state and tribal hemp plans.
The USDA said it has received hemp proposals from an additional 16 states, though some came in before the national rules were released. All are under review.
