October 2021 Group Watch: AL Accepting Hemp Growing & Processing Applications
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has started taking license applications from Alabama hemp growers, those who process and handle hemp and interested universities. In 2016, the legislature passed the Alabama Industrial Hemp Research Program Act, which required the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to set up a licensing and inspection program for industrial hemp production. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 declassified hemp as a schedule I drug, deemed hemp an agriculture commodity, and defined hemp as the parts of the marijuana plant that contain less than 0.3 percent THC. The industrial hemp industry can produce essential oils from CBD, as well as grain and fiber products. In the 2019 pilot program, Alabama granted 152 hemp growers, 59 processors and five universities. The final day to apply is November 29, 2021. More information for registration is available here.
