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 is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that 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 cannabinol (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
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-334 §§ 7129, 7501, 7605, 10113, 10114, 11101, 11106, 11113, 11119, 11121, 12619
Agricultural Act of 2014, 7 U.S.C. § 5940
Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 801 – 904, 951 – 971
Industrial Hemp Laws: State-by-State
Regulations
Interim Final Rule for the Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program, 7 CFR §990
Federal Register Rules Open for Comment
Case Law
Case Law Index for Industrial Hemp
Center Research Publications
Industrial Hemp Laws: State-by-State (NALC Research Staff)
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 and Marijuana: Questions and Answers
What is the effect of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 on the FD&C Act?
FDA Responds to Three GRAS for Hemp Seed-Derived Ingredients for Use in Human Food
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA Statement of Principles on Industrial Hemp
Hemp Production Program
Marketing Program for the Commercial Production of Hemp
Hemp Production Program Questions and Answers
Congressional Resources
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Other Federal Resources
DEA Announces Actions Related to Marijuana and Industrial Hemp
International Resources
Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA)
Industrial Hemp Production in Canada (Alberta Agriculture & Forestry)
European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA)
Indian Industrial Hemp Association (IIHA)
UK Hemp Association
Additional Resources
State Industrial Hemp Statutes (National Conference of State Legislatures)
Industrial Hemp (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center)
Hemp Industries Association (HIA)
U.S. Hemp Authority
National Hemp Association
Kentucky Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program (Kentucky Department of Agriculture)
ProVerde Laboratories
Agricor Laboratories
Green Leaf Labs
Agricultural Hemp Solutions
New West Genetics
Cannabis Testing Lab Accreditation Program (ANAB)
Challenges and Solutions: Access to Banking Services for Cannabis-Related Businesses (Independent Community Bankers of America)
Hempstead Project Heart For Tribes
Publications
Industrial Hemp Production (Penn. State Extension, 2018)
Industrial Hemp Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Seeds, Fiber, Shivs), By Application (Textiles, Personal Care, Animal Care, Construction Materials), By Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2018 – 2025 (Grand View Research, 2018)
DEA Clarifies Marijuana Extract Rule and CBD Legality (Kight on Cannabis, 2017)
Industrial Hemp Production (University of Kentucky Extension, 2015)
Evaluating the Public Interest: Regulation of Industrial Hemp Under the Controlled Substances Act (Kolosov, 57 UCLA L. Rev. 237 (2009))
Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America (Small, E. and D. Marcus 2002)