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There are no acreage limits in either state, but it must be grown as a research project in Maryland.

February 10, 2020

2 Min Read
Hemp field is silhouetted against an orange sunset
APPLY NOW: Farmers interested in growing industrial hemp in Delaware can apply online through the state’s Department of Agriculture for a 2020 grower license.UrosPoteko/Getty Images

Farmers in Delaware can apply for a 2020 grower license through the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Industrial hemp production, which has been run as a pilot program in the First State, is now officially legal with no acreage limits and no requirement to work with a research institution.

You can apply for a hemp growing permit at de.gov/hemp.

The ag department will issue official cards to program participants to prove credentials to law enforcement if needed.

Producers must submit a criminal history report at the time of applying, and it must be dated no more than four months prior to the application date.

Producer and processor fees

For producers, the application and renewal is $300 every three years; an annual growing site registration of $500 per site annually; and a growing site modification fee of $500 per site.

For processors, the application and renewal is $300 every three years; a processor facility registration fee of $1,000 per facility annually; and a facility modification fee of $1,000 per facility.

The handler application fee is $100.

Maryland pilot now open

The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program is now accepting applications for the 2020 growing season. In its second year, the program allows eligible farmers to partner with institutions of higher education or the department to grow industrial hemp for research purposes.

Farmers interested in growing industrial hemp must partner with an institution of higher education or the Maryland Department of Agriculture to develop a research project and a plan for the use or destruction of the crop. Program participants will be allowed to sell their crop for profit at the end of the growing season. Maryland currently does not limit acres or number of applications for this pilot program.

In its first year, the program registered 69 sites for projects partnering with eight different institutions of higher education. In total, 1,500 acres and more than 1 million square feet of greenhouse space were registered to grow hemp in 2019.

Program applications are available for download on the department’s website. Applicants will also be required to apply for an FBI criminal background check.

For more information, contact Jim Drews, turf and seed program manager, at 410-841-5960 or [email protected].

Source: Delaware Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Agriculture, which are solely responsible for the information provided and are wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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