Industrial Hemp
Overview
The cultivation of hemp, along with the production of hemp-based products, has had a long, tumultuous legal history in the United States. Hemp – a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species – is typically grown for its industrial uses. Although industrial hemp is derived from the same Cannabis sativa species as the marijuana plant, industrial hemp has lower concentrations of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases the psychoactive effects. Hemp is used to produce a variety of things, including fiber, paper, biodegradable plastics, biofuel, food products, and animal feed. Read the full overview.
Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.
Major Statutes
Hemp Production, 7 U.S.C. §§ 1639o – r.
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-334 §§ 7129, 7501, 7605, 10113, 10114, 11101, 11106, 11113, 11119, 11121, 12619
Controlled Substances Act (CSA), 21 U.S.C. §§ 801 – 904, 951 – 971.
Regulations
Final Rule for the Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program, 7 C.F.R. § 990
Federal Register Rules Open for Comment
Case Law
Case Law Index for Industrial Hemp
Center Research Publications
Legal Challenges to State Hemp Laws and Regulations (NALC Research Staff)
Industrial Hemp Production Contracts (NALC Research Staff)
Industrial Hemp Regulations Finalized (NALC Research Staff)
Industrial Hemp Laws: State-by-State (NALC Research Staff)
Innovative State Approaches to Hemp Regulations Under the 2018 Farm Bill (NALC Research Staff)
Industrial Hemp Production Contracts: Managing Expectations and Mitigating Loss (NALC Research Staff)
Ag & Food Law Update blog topics:
Congressional Research Service Reports
Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017
Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:
Agricultural Law Bibliography
Introduction | Keyword Search | Browse Categories
Legal publications on Industrial Hemp:
Administrative Law (Federal and State Farm Programs)
Reference Resources
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on signing of the Agriculture Improvement Act and the agency’s regulation of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds
FDA Advances Work Related to Cannabidiol Products with Focus on Protecting Public Health, Providing Market Clarity
FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, including Cannabidiol (CBD)
FDA Responds to Three GRAS Notices for Hemp Seed-Derived Ingredients for Use in Human Food
Better Data for a Better Understanding of the Use and Safety Profile of Cannabidiol (CBD) Products
What You Need to Know (And What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Statement of Principles on Industrial Hemp
Overview of Hemp
Hemp Production Program
Hemp eManagement Platform (HeMP)
Hemp Production Program FAQs
Hemp Rulemaking Documents
USDA Publishes Final Rule for the Domestic Production of Hemp
Hemp and Farm Programs
USDA Information for Producers
For USDA Licensed Producers Only
Information on Hemp Testing Laboratories
ERS: Economic Viability of Industrial Hemp in the United States: A Review of State Pilot Programs (2020)
NASS: National Hemp Report (2024)
Congressional Resources
Change to Federal Definition of Hemp and Implications for Federal Enforcement
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Other Federal Resources
DEA Implementation of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Proposed Rescheduling of Marijuana
DEA Announces Actions Related to Marijuana and Industrial Hemp
DEA Announces Steps Necessary to Improve Access to Marijuana Research
International Resources
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
India: Sustainability Driving Demand for Hemp Fiber
Netherlands: Overview of the Market of Industrial Hemp in the Netherlands and Its Potential as Bio-based Material
European Union: Market Trends and Regulations for Industrial Hemp in the European Union
Mexico: Hemp Regulation and Trade in Mexico
Colombia: 2021 Colombia Hemp Annual Report
China: China’s Hemp and Hemp Products Import Policies
China: 2019 Hemp Annual Report
France: Industrial Hemp in France
Hong Kong: Documentation Requirements for Hemp Seed Transshipments via Hong Kong
Thailand: Industrial Hemp Report 2021
Japan: The Japanese Market for CBD and Hemp Extracts
Japan: The Japanese Market for Hemp Seed and Hemp Seed Oil Products
Japan: The Japanese Market for Hemp Fiber
Ecuador: Industrial Hemp Report
Brazil: Brazil’s Initial Hemp Report
Philippines: Industrial Hemp Report
Netherlands: Overview of the Market of Industrial Hemp in the Netherlands and Its Potential as Bio-based Material
Romania: Romanian Industrial Hemp Market Overview
Italy: Italian Industrial Hemp Overview 2023
Ukraine: Industrial Hemp Report
Germany: The German Hemp Market – Hemp Makes a Comeback in Germany
Germany: Hemp’s Sustainability Highlighted by European Industrial Hemp Association Manifesto
Canada: Industrial Hemp Production Trade and Regulation
Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA)
Canada: Update on Industrial Hemp Production Trade and Regulation
European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)
Hemp Production in the EU (European Commission)
Indian Industrial Hemp Association (IIHA)
Additional Resources
State Cannabis Legislation Database (National Conference of State Legislatures)
Industrial Hemp (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center)
National Hemp Association
Kentucky Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program (Kentucky Department of Agriculture)
Purdue University Hemp Project
Penn State Industrial Hemp Production
Cornell Hemp
Rutgers University Hemp Marketing and Economics
SC Laboratories
Midwest Hemp Council
Banking Cannabis-Related Businesses (Independent Community Bankers of America)
Publications
Herbicide Use and Weed Management Strategies in Hemp Cultivation (Kaur, et. al., 7 J. Cannabis Rsch. (2025)).
Economic feasibility and risk analysis of industrial hemp production: a comparative assessment of floral, fiber, and grain enterprises in North Carolina, USA (Quaicoe, et. al., 8 J. Cannabis Rsch. (2025)).
Introduction to the Special Issue: The Two Sides of Hemp: Medical and Industrial (Bernstein, 6 J. Cannabis Rsch, (2024)).
Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Agronomy and Utilization: A Review (Viskovic, et. al., 13 Agronomy 931 (2023)).
The Sustainability of Industrial Hemp: A Literature Review of Its Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability (Kaur, et. al., 15 Sustainability 6457 (2023)).
Industrial Hemp Seed: From the Field to Value-Added Food Ingredients (Burton, et. al., 4 J. Cannabis Rsch. (2022)).
Industrial Hemp Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Seeds, Fiber, Shivs), By Application (Animal Care, Textiles, Personal Care), By Region (North America, APAC), and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030 (Grand View Research, 2022)
A Review on the Current State of Knowledge of Growing Conditions, Agronomic Soil Health Practices and Utilities of Hemp in the United States (North Carolina A&T State University, 2020)
Industrial Hemp Production (Penn. State Extension, 2023)