Public Comment Period Begins for Iowa’s New Hemp Production Regulations

Comments can be submitted online until 4:30 p.m./CT on Jan. 22

DES MOINES, Iowa (Jan. 2, 2020)  – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that the open comment period for the state’s proposed hemp production regulations began Jan. 1. The public can visit rules.iowa.gov to read the proposed administrative rules that will regulate the planting, growing and harvesting of commercial hemp in Iowa. Comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m./CT on Jan. 22, 2020.

The state of Iowa submitted its proposed hemp production program to the USDA for approval on Dec. 11, 2019. The USDA has 60 days to review and provide feedback. It is not legal to grow, possess, buy or sell hemp in Iowa until the USDA approves the state plan and the Department publishes notice of the approval in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin.

Once production has been legalized, licensed farmers will be able to grow up to 40 acres of hemp per season. The Department will start accepting hemp license applications once the USDA approves the state hemp plan and the online licensing system is operational. Interested growers should continue to monitor iowaagriculture.gov/hemp for updates.

This commercial hemp production program does not legalize the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for human consumption in Iowa. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is still working to determine if CBD is safe for human consumption. Hemp grain, hemp seed oil and protein powder derived from hemp grain have been cleared by the FDA for human consumption.

To read Iowa’s proposed hemp regulatory administrative rules in their entirety, visit https://rules.iowa.gov/Notice/Details/4841C. To read the Iowa Hemp Act, visit https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2020/204.pdf.