For the past few weeks, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has been accepting applications from hemp growers, processors/handlers and universities for a 2022 industrial hemp license. But, the application period ends Monday, November 29th at 5:00 pm (CT).
In 2016, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Industrial Hemp Research Program Act, Section 2-8-380 Code of Alabama 1975, tasking ADAI with the development of a licensing and inspection program for the production of industrial hemp.
The program then launched in 2019, after the 2018 Farm Bill declassified hemp as a schedule I 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.
Applications will only be accepted online through the Kelly Registration System (KRS) at agi.alabama.gov/hempapp.