Cannabis Hemp has been legally grown in North Carolina by growers licensed via the state’s Pilot Program, as authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, and implemented by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This Pilot Program will terminate at the end of 2021, and hemp producers will transition in 2022 to licensing under the USDA.

If you already have a hemp license, you hopefully have already received notice of this from the NCDA&CS, and are on your way to making the transition to USDA licensure. However, for any growers presently considering hemp as a new crop for 2022, this outline of the regulatory changes written by Extension Specialist Dr. Jeanine Davis covers the essentials of applying for a USDA Hemp license.