Industrial Hemp Pilot Program
Background
The 2014 Farm Bill defined industrial hemp for the first time under federal law and allowed states to develop research pilot programs to study the growth, cultivation, and marketing of industrial hemp. After the Minnesota Industrial Hemp development Act (MS 18K) became law in 2015, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) was tasked with administering the Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. Industrial hemp is defined as Cannabis sativa L. with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 0.3% or less.
Growers must apply to the MDA to grow hemp—they supply a basic research proposal, their field locations, a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension background check, and pay the program fees. At the end of the growing season, applicants are required to report agronomic, processing, and marketing findings.
All hemp seed planted in Minnesota are certified varieties imported from Canada and Europe under the MDA’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Schedule I Research Registration. All fields are sampled within 30 days of harvest by MDA inspectors. The plant samples are tested for delta-9 THC concentration to ensure compliance with the statutory industrial hemp definition.
Details
In 2016, the MDA licensed 7 pilot participants who grew 38 acres of industrial hemp. In 2017, 42 individuals applied to grow industrial hemp. Of them, 38 received their licenses. Of those 38 licensees, 33 planted hemp—with a total acreage of 1,455 acres. The hemp pilots are growing predominantly to harvest grain, mainly for oil and animal or human food consumption. Some pilots are planning to process the stalks for fiber as well, for applications such as textiles, animal bedding, and landscaping or building materials. There is no established hemp processing industry in Minnesota yet—the markets and economic opportunities are newly developing.
University of Minnesota Research
Dr. George Weiblen at the University of Minnesota has been doing feral hemp and cannabis genetics research for several years. In 2017, Dr. Weiblen and his team will continue the feral hemp research, and will also conduct agronomic hemp variety trials for the MDA pilot program. Twelve of the highest-yielding oilseed varieties from Canada are being tested for suitability in Minnesota. The trial plots are at 5 locations throughout the state—the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (St. Paul), the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center, the West Central Research and Outreach Center (Morris), the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (Crookston), and the White Earth Tribal Community College (Callaway).
For more information, please visit the MDA Industrial Hemp Pilot Program webpage at or contact the program coordinator (see info below).