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

Posted on April 4, 2024

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.

Deadline Extended for Minnesota Hemp Growers and Processors

Posted on May 12, 2023

Applications must be postmarked by May 31 for 2023 License

hemp plants — Photo by NickyPe from Pixabay.

Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 have additional time to apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The deadline to apply has been extended to May 31 to accommodate all potential applicants that are waiting on legislative action on cannabis. To date, over 230 people have applied for an MDA hemp license.

The online application for growers and processors will only be available until April 30 at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Those interested in applying for a license after April 30 will need to complete a paper application. Paper applications can be requested by contacting hemp.mda@state.mn.us. Along with the paper application, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. All paper applications must be postmarked by May 31 to be accepted.

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.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2023:

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 (FSA) 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 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.

Applications Open for Minnesota’s 2022 Industrial Hemp Program

Posted on November 4, 2021

Online applications are now open for anyone wishing to grow or process hemp in Minnesota in 2022. A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is required for individuals and businesses.

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2022, and a license is good for the 2022 calendar year.

The application can be found on the MDA website. 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 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.

While the deadline to apply or renew is April 30, 2022, those actively growing hemp plants indoors past December 31, 2021, must renew their license before expiration at the end of the year. Questions about the MDA’s Industrial 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.

USDA Approves Minnesota’s Hemp Plan

Posted on May 12, 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the state of Minnesota’s revised hemp production plan. The plan governs the production and regulation of hemp in Minnesota and needed federal approval as part of USDA’s U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program.

This will be the first year Minnesota’s program will be operating under a new, federally-approved state plan that governs production and regulation.

Some changes in the revised plan include:

A hemp crop must be tested no more than 30 days before harvest to ensure the plants fall below the 0.3% total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level. This is an increase from the previous 15-day testing window.
Random sampling of fields will now be based on risk factors of the crop, allowing for more inspection flexibility.
Remediation is allowed if hemp plants exceed the 0.3% total THC threshold but test under 1% total THC.

A grower cannot be assessed more than one negligent violation in a year. The previous plan allowed an unlimited number of assessed violations. The penalty for violations is unchanged. Those with three negligent violations in five years will be ineligible for a license for five years.

A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is required for individuals and businesses to grow, process, research, or breed hemp in the state. Questions about the MDA’s Industrial Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600. MDA’s full press release on this topic can be found online here.

April 30 Application Deadline for Hemp Growers and Processors

Posted on April 20, 2021

Those wanting to grow, process, breed, or research hemp in Minnesota in 2021 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30.

The online application for growers and processors can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp.

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