MONTGOMERY, AL (ADAI-September 17, 2019) – The Alabama Hemp program launched in the beginning of 2019, after the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (i.e. Farm Bill) declassified hemp as a schedule 1 drug and deemed hemp as an agriculture commodity. This legislation defines hemp as all parts of the plant containing less than 0.3% THC, including derivatives, extracts, and cannabinoids.
Currently, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is awaiting an interim final rule to be published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pertaining to hemp. Because USDA has not yet issued interim rules, we must, unfortunately, delay the opening of the application period beyond Monday, September 23, 2019.
Upon the release and review of the interim final hemp rule, ADAI will open the application period. The anticipated dates for accepting hemp applications for the 2020 Hemp Program will be October 7, 2019 through November 14, 2019. Hemp applications will be open to growers, processors/handlers, and universities. For more information and updates, please visit: http://www.agi.alabama.gov/divisions/plant-protection/industrial-hemp.