Hemp license applications due April 30

ST. PAUL — Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture by April 30.

The online application for growers and processors can be found on the MDA 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.

Growers and processors need to be aware the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample will cost $100.

Penalties may be assessed to growers that do not submit planting and harvest report forms.

Growers are required to complete a Farm Service Agency 578 form for all hemp varieties and locations planted. If a grower fails to submit this data to FSA in the required time, the MDA will not be allowed to sample and test those fields, nor issue a Fit for Commerce

Certificate for those hemp lots. A grower license starts at $400. The minimum cost of a processor license is $500.

Anyone growing on tribal lands within a reservation’s boundaries or other lands under tribal jurisdiction (e.g., trust lands off-reservation) must obtain a license from the tribe or the U.S. Department of Agriculture if the tribe does not have an approved hemp production plan.

To date, over 160 people have applied for an MDA license.

This is the eighth year of the state’s Hemp Program. Last year, 293 people held licenses to grow or process hemp. Over 375 acres and 122,040 indoor square feet were planted in Minnesota in 2022.

Questions about the MDA’s Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@ state.mn.us or (651) 201-6600.

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.v