Hemp plant. Image by herbalhemp from Pixabay.

Licenses are for industrial hemp only

Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2024 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30. To date, about 113 people have applied for an MDA license. A license from the MDA is required for individuals and businesses.

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2024, and a license is valid for the 2024 calendar year.

The application can be found on the MDA website: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/hemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants and authorized representatives need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. These licenses are for growing and processing industrial hemp only.

The hemp grower or processor application is not for the growth or sale of adult-use or medical cannabis. The application is also not intended for the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Adult-use cannabis information can be found on the Office of Cannabis Management website: https://cannabis.state.mn.us. Information related to medical cannabis and hemp-derived cannabinoid products can be found at the Minnesota Department of Health website: https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/index.html.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2024:

All authorized representatives designated by the applicant must pass a criminal history background check prior to the issuance of a license.
Every lot of hemp grown requires pre-harvest THC regulatory testing. Each official regulatory sample collected by the MDA will cost $100.
The MDA licenses processors that handle raw hemp and initially process it by extraction, decortication, devitalization, crushing, or packaging, and the department will continue random inspections of processor locations.
License fees will remain the same. The minimum cost of a grower license is $400. A processing license is a minimum of $500.

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

Background

Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. They differ by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant. Hemp has less than 0.3% THC, and 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. Minnesota Industrial Hemp Program Licensing and Acreage Statistics are available on the 2023 Hemp Program Annual Report: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/docs/2024-03/2023_MDA_Hemp_Program_Report.

Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2022 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30. To date, over 200 people have applied for an MDA license.

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.

This is the seventh year of the state’s Industrial Hemp Program. Last year, 425 people held licenses to grow or process hemp. Over 2,800 acres and 318,713 indoor square feet were planted in Minnesota.

There are several changes to the 2022 program. They include:

The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample 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 MDA will begin inspecting processor locations. This was not done in the past.
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 adequately fund the MDA’s Hemp Program.

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 USDA if the tribe does not have an approved hemp production plan.

Questions about the MDA’s Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600. Read MDA’s full press release on this topic here.

Tag: hemp grower application

Minnesota Hemp Growers and Processors Must Apply by April 30 for 2024 Season

Licenses are for industrial hemp only

April 30 Application Deadline for Hemp Growers and Processors