Industrial Hemp
USDA Enforcement Discretion - Interim Final Rule
Delay in effect until October 31, 2021, or publication of the final rule, whichever occurs first, for the following:
Lab Testing
USDA requires that hemp plants be tested in DEA registered laboratories. This has been problematic due to lack of DEA registered labs.
Enforcement has been delayed: USDA has announced it will delay enforcement of the stringent testing. In the meantime, THC testing can be now be conducted by labs without DEA registration, provided the labs meet all other compliance requirements.
Non-Compliant Crop Destruction
USDA requires that non-compliant crops with THC levels over .3% be destroyed using a DEA registered reverse distributor or law enforcement.
Enforcement has been delayed: producers must still document the disposal of all non-compliant plants in accordance with applicable law, and complete the USDA Hemp Plan Producer Disposal Form. For the duration of the enforcement delay, producers can dispose of plants by plowing under, mulching/composting, disking, mowing, burying or burning (burn permit would be required).
The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act (Senate Bill 566, Chapter 398, Statutes of 2013) was signed into law to authorize the commercial production of industrial hemp in California.
New UC hemp publication shows potential symptoms caused by herbicide drift.
“When they see unexpected damage on the plants, our growers, county agricultural commissioners and pest control advisers need to be able to determine whether a crop might have been subjected to herbicide drift from an adjacent field or orchard,” Light said. “We provided science-based evidence that can help guide their judgment.”
Hemp in Sonoma County
In Sonoma County, there is a moratorium on growing hemp that expires in April 2020. The Agricultural Commissioner's office proposed a county ordinance at the January 6, 2020 Board of Supervisors meeting.

The proposal was accepted and the ordinance is being written. The Sonoma County Dept of Agriculture hopes to start accepting registrations in the near future, planting cannot start until 4/30/2020 (due to the moratorium).
Resources
California Department of Food & Agriculture:
California Department of Public Health:
- CDPH Information on Industrial Hemp (IH) Derivatives Including Cannabidiol (CBD)
- FAQ – Industrial Hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD) in Food Products
United States Department of Agriculture:
Food and Cosmetics
Per CDPH's FAQs – Industrial Hemp and Cannabidiol:
Selling Hemp at Farmers Market
Per CDFA's Market Manager FAQ's:
"Hemp can potentially be sold as nursery stock or as an herb in the clearly defined marketing area where only agricultural products may be sold within a certified farmers’ market (California Code of Regulations section 1392.2(l)). However, all other applicable laws and regulations still must be strictly adhered to, including, but not limited to: California Industrial Hemp Program; Nursery Stock Registration & Certification Programs; and local ordinances.
Hemp by-products such as sunscreen, shoes, balms, clothes, soaps, etc. are not agricultural products for the purposes of direct marketing and cannot be sold in the clearly defined marketing area where only agricultural products may be sold. (Food and Agricultural Code section 47000.5(a)(2))."
Crop Insurance for Hemp
Once the hemp program is rolled out in Sonoma County, crop insurance will be available. Visit USDA Risk Management Agency to learn more.
See also: Ask the Expert: A Hemp Q&A about USDA's Multi-Peril Crop Insurance hemp pilot program to insure hemp on USDA's Farmers.gov
Industrial Hemp Workshop Presentations
From the November 2019 workshop at SRJC Shone Farm.
- Iverson Farm presentation by Ken Iverson, keynote speaker farming hemp in Oregon on a diversified farm
- Hemp Cultivation in California presentation with CDFA
- California Hemp Seed Certification presentation by Alex Mkandawire, UCDavis at 2019 Industrial Hemp Workshop
- Agronomic Practices & Lessons Learned presentation by George Sellu, SRJC professor
- Regulating Industrial Hemp in Sonoma County presentation by Tony Linegar, Agricultural Commissioner
- Workshop Agenda
Literature
General
- CBD Hemp Vs Industrial Hemp: What You Need to Know, by Joy Smith for Medical Cannabis Brief
- Herbicide Damage Symptoms on Hemp UC Davis, Dept of Plant Sciences and UCCE Sutter-Yuba, Feb 2020
- Opinion challenges to reviving hemp by Craig Schluttenhofer and Ling Yuan from CellPress Reviews
Seed
- Feminized Seed and the Ethics of Cannabis Farming white paper by Oregon CBD, 2017
- Should Growing Male Hemp Outdoors by Banned by Medicinal Genomics
Best Management Practices for Cannabis Growers Video
Sharing from Mendocino County RCD.
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) teamed up with Happy Day Farms to produce an 8-minute video, based on the Watershed Best Management Practices for Cannabis Growers and Other Rural Gardeners guide. “The video is a great way to reach a wide audience in practical ways to conserve water, enhance soil health and protect watersheds,” says project lead Patty Madigan. “A video is a powerful educational tool to communicate conservation guidelines.”
Featuring panoramic vistas and gorgeous footage of a biodiverse enterprise, the video was shot on a northern Mendocino County organic farm that integrates its production with farm-grown veggies, flowers and eggs—and legal Cannabis. The focus of the 8-minute video is “what it means to be a good steward of the land”. Funding for the video was obtained through the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, through grants from the Resources Legacy Fund and the Campbell Foundation.
Video: BMPs for Cannabis Growers
2018 guide publication in English and Spanish
Some Hemp History
Hemp for Victory from USDA in 1942 encourages growing hemp for the war effort and goes on to educate farmers how to grow this ancient crop.
Although it was deemed illegal in 1937, during World War II, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was lifted briefly to allow for hemp fiber production to create ropes for the U.S. Navy but after the war hemp reverted to its illegal status.
Learn more from 8 Things You Didn't Know About Hemp from PBS, 2015