Alabama’s hemp growers now have a new option. The state’s hemp growers, processors/handlers and universities may now apply for an industrial hemp license from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Applications will only be accepted online through the Kelly Registration System.
The application period began Tuesday, October 11 and the final day to apply for an industrial hemp license is November 30.
In 2016, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Industrial Hemp Research Program Act, tasking ADAI with the development of a licensing and inspection program for the production of industrial hemp. The program launched in 2019, after the 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.
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate says it’s the department’s goal to manage the program in a fair and timely manner to benefit Alabama farmers and hemp producers and to develop industrial hemp as an alternative crop.
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.