Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association Opposes Changing the Legal Definition of Hemp

The Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association, a broad coalition of businesses and individuals who advocate for the re-emerging industrial hemp sector from field to consumer, continues to express deep concern regarding the potential for the legal definition of hemp to be changed via legislative vehicles currently under consideration in Washington, D.C.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334)) expanded the definition of hemp and established a successful framework for the hemp industry.  As a result, the hemp industry now supports 320,000 American jobs and generates $28.4 billion in regulated market activity. If the language aimed at changing the current definition of hemp currently being discussed in the halls of Congress were to become law, it would deal a fatal blow to American farmers supplying the regulated hemp industry and small businesses.  It would also jeopardize tens of billions of dollars in economic activity around the country.

“The Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association supports retention of the current legal definition of hemp” said Dave Ladd, President of the Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association.  “Furthermore, we support a "clean" Continuing Resolution (CR), a clean "minibus", a clean minibus-CR combination, or other funding package, as well as in the Farm Bill. An arbitrary change to the legal definition is not a substitute for a measured and comprehensive legislative solution related to the regulation of hemp products.”

Significant investments have been made in genetics and farming practices order to comply with the current definition and any arbitrary change to the definition of legal hemp would stifle further innovation and investment.

“The hemp industry is currently comprised of small, independent farmers and the re-emergence of domestic hemp production was perfectly timed to meet the growing consumer demand for hemp products” said Tim Seehusen, Founder of Prairie PROducers in Olivia, MN.  “The crop could be a major economic driver but hemp farmers need market access, a seamless supply chain, and regulatory certainty” continued Seehusen.

As with other commodity crops under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), if hemp, and derivatives thereof, fall within the legal definition as provided in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 then the products derived from the Nation’s domestically produced crop should not face undo legal and regulatory barriers.