BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) filed rules and regulations with the State Register's office on Thursday for the Louisiana Industrial Hemp Program, LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., said.
"Our staff worked diligently to complete and file the industrial hemp administrative rules and regulations," Strain. "Our goal is to have everything in place and licenses issued in time for the 2020 planting season. While there are additional steps that must be completed before the production of industrial hemp in Louisiana is authorized, I remain confident that we are on track to meet our goal."
To view the proposed rules and regulations, go tohttp://www.ldaf.state.la.us/news/notice-of-intent-filed-with-state-register-lac-7xiii-1301-1343-industrial-hemp-rules-and-regulations/.
The 2018 Farm Bill addressed a number of federal policies and programs regarding industrial hemp, laying the groundwork for full-scale commercial production. Specifically, it removed industrial hemp from regulation under the Controlled Substances Act and provided for the commercial production of industrial hemp.
Act 164 was passed by the Louisiana Legislature and signed by the governor authorizing the LDAF to submit a state industrial hemp plan to USDA and adopt regulations to administer the industrial hemp program in Louisiana.
The LDAF's Louisiana Industrial Hemp Program is the state's designated regulatory authority for the production, processing and transportation of industrial hemp.
For more information on the Louisiana Industrial Hemp Program, visit www.ldaf.state.la.us.
