Deadline Extended for Minnesota Hemp Growers and Processors to Apply for 2023 License

Applications must be postmarked by May 31

St. Paul, MN: Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 have additional time to apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The deadline to apply has been extended to May 31 to accommodate all potential applicants that are waiting on legislative action on cannabis. To date, over 230 people have applied for an MDA hemp license.

The online application for growers and processors will only be available until April 30 at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Those interested in applying for a license after April 30 will need to complete a paper application. Paper applications can be requested by contacting [email protected]. Along with the paper application, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. All paper applications must be postmarked by May 31 to be accepted.

This is the eighth year of the state?s Hemp Program. Last year, 293 people held licenses to grow or process hemp. Over 375 acres and 122,040 indoor square feet were planted in Minnesota in 2022.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2023:

• The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample will cost $100.
• Penalties may be assessed to growers that do not submit Planting and Harvest Report forms.
• Growers are required to complete a Farm Service Agency (FSA) 578 form for all hemp varieties and locations planted. If a grower fails to submit this data to FSA in the required time, the MDA will not be allowed to sample and test those fields, nor issue a Fit for Commerce Certificate for those hemp lots.
• A grower license starts at $400.
• The minimum cost of a processor license is $500.

Anyone growing on tribal lands within a reservation?s boundaries or other lands under tribal jurisdiction (e.g., trust lands off-reservation) must obtain a license from the tribe or the USDA if the tribe does not have an approved hemp production plan.

Questions about the MDA?s Hemp Program should be sent to [email protected] or 651-201-6600.

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