State Hemp Management Plan Submitted to U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Colorado Department of Agriculture submitted the Colorado State Hemp Management Plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday, June 18 to certify that the state has resources and personnel required to execute the plans’ practices and procedures.

“The plan we submitted today is both innovative and practical,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. It provides a valuable roadmap for building a successful and sustainable hemp industry in Colorado, based on our state’s unique insight and knowledge,” she said.

With feedback from farmers, state and local government agencies, law enforcement, and many others, the plan addresses aspects of managing a successful and sustainable state commercial hemp industry. These aspects include but are not limited to things such as the use of third party approved labs, discipline waiver options, and post-harvest testing within specific parameters.

As one of the initial states to implement an industrial hemp program, the state has over 87,000 registered acres and has seen 5,539 registrations over the course of the previous five years. The plan will initiate implementation Sunday, November 1.

“With our experience administering a hemp program in Colorado for the past five years, we were able to bring together leaders with expertise in every link of the hemp supply chain to help us understand the challenges we face in helping the industry to grow,” said Brian Koontz, Industrial Hemp Program Manager for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

For more information on The Colorado Department of Agriculture, visit colorado.gov/ag.