USDA Issues Interim Final Rule Establishing Domestic Hemp Production Program: Next Steps in South Carolina
On October 28, 2019, the Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an Interim Final Rule for the Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program as required by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The Interim Rule went into effect October 31, 2019 and is effective through November 1, 2021. The USDA is accepting comments on the Interim Final Rule until December 30, 2019. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture indicates that it plans to submit comments to the USDA no later than December 16, 2019. Following the comment period, the SCDA may submit a plan to the USDA for approval. The Interim Final Rule requires the USDA to approve or disapprove a plan submitted by the SCDA no later than 60 days after its submission. For more on the 2018 Farm Bill’s provisions related to commercial hemp and the South Carolina Hemp Farming Act enacted following the 2018 Farm Bill, click here . The Interim Fi