Those interested in growing or processing hemp in Minnesota in 2022 can now apply for a license through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
The application can be found on the Ag Department website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp . Along with the online form, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.
There are several changes to the 2022 industrial hemp program. They include:
- The fee for testing for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for growers has been reduced from $125 to $100 each.
- Previously, growers were not invoiced for the cost of the first sample; however, fees now will be charged for each sample collected.
- The state will begin inspecting processor locations, which is new.
- The processor license fee remains at $250, but each processing location will cost $250. Therefore, the minimum cost of a processing license will be $500.
The fee changes bring Minnesota into better alignment with other states and will help fund the state's hemp program, the Department of Agriculture said in a news release.
The deadline for applying is April 30, 2022, but those growing hemp plants indoors past Dec. 31, 2021, must renew their license the end of the year.
For questions, email hemp.mda@state.mn.us or call 651-201-6600.
ADVERTISEMENT
Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, but hemp has less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive compound in the plant. THC levels above that are considered marijuana.
Minnesota operated under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020. In 2021, the program began operating under a new, federally approved state plan that governs production and regulation.
