Hemp Testing Enforcement Discretion
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service is delaying until December 31, 2025, the enforcement of a requirement that all hemp must be tested by a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)-registered laboratory. Information about this delay in enforcement is available on the Information for Hemp Testing Laboratories webpage.
As required by the 2018 Farm Bill, USDA developed the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program to provide regulatory oversight of the cultivation of hemp in the United States. The program includes provisions for the USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Indian tribes for the domestic production of hemp and establishes a federal plan for producers in states or territories of Indian tribes that do not have their own USDA-approved plan and the production of hemp is legal.
To produce hemp, you first need to be licensed or authorized under a state hemp program, a tribal hemp program, or the USDA hemp program. The program you are licensed under depends on the location of your hemp growing facility.
If your state or tribe does not have a pending or approved hemp production plan, you may apply for a USDA hemp production license. To obtain a license to produce hemp under the USDA production program, create an account using the Hemp eManagement Platform (HeMP) and use HeMP to submit a USDA Hemp Application. USDA hemp production applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
If you find you need additional information, please contact us at farmbill.hemp@usda.gov or (888) 721-HEMP(4367).