Not so “Whacky” 454 Farmers Plan to Grow Hemp in MN

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved Minnesota's revised hemp plan. The Federal Farm Bill in 2018 legalized industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity. The law required states to submit plans to the USDA if they wanted to oversee their own program. Last year the USDA approved Minnesota's plan and since then made some modifications so Minnesota had to submit a revised plan that was approved.

"We thank the USDA for their work on this new federal hemp program, and we are grateful they have approved Minnesota's revised plan," said Minnesota Department of Agriculture Assistant Commissioner Whitney Place. "This is a major step forward, and we're pleased that the modifications have been made at the federal level that can ensure Minnesota's hemp growers and processors are successful in this fledging industry."

The industrial hemp industry is highly regulated to say the least because it is closely related to "whacky tobacco" or as some call it marijuana. The major difference is industrial hemp is less than .3 percent THC. So, if you are driving by an industrial hemp field you will typically see a sign saying it is industrial hemp so someone is not tempted to help themselves to what they think might be marijuana. To get a license to grow industrial  hemp you even have to pass a background check!