Registration Now Open for Delaware Domestic Hemp Production Program

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Following up on the recent announcement of USDA’s approval of Delaware’s Domestic Hemp Production Program, the Delaware Department of Agriculture released their registration materials online Friday, February 7.

Under the Delaware Domestic Hemp Production Program, the Delaware Department of Agriculture is responsible for regulating the production of hemp. The Department does not have oversight of the selling of hemp products or the businesses marketing these products. This includes any CBD product.

In the Participant Guide, Plant Industries Administrator Jessica Inhof outlined differences from the 2019 Delaware Hemp Research Pilot Program to the 2020 production program, including:

• The Department has removed acreage limits for producing hemp.
• The Department has removed the requirement that seed be delivered to the Department for producer pick up. Please note, when purchasing seed, all seed is still subject to the Federal Seed Act and Delaware Seed Law which regulate seed tags and labeling.
• The Department has removed the requirement to work with a research institution. A Research Agreement with Delaware State University or any other university is no longer required.
• The Department will issue official cards for participants to prove credentials to law enforcement if needed. These cards will demonstrate your participation in the Program.
• The Department will allow producers to designate one person as an Authorized Representative with the authority to be present at sample collection and correspond with the Department. This person must be indicated on the Producer Application and must submit a Criminal History Report.
• The Department requires only one Criminal History Report, if applying for more than one license type. Criminal History Reports are to be submitted at the time of application or renewal and must be dated no more than four months prior.

The 2020 Delaware Domestic Hemp Production Program is fee-based as outlined in the Participant Guide and applications that can be found online at https://de.gov/hemp.

For this year, the Delaware Department of Agriculture will be accepting producer applications and growing site registrations from February 7 to May 7, 2020. All questions related to Delaware’s Domestic Hemp Production Program should be emailed to DDA_HempProgram@delaware.gov.