Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 1/6/20

Just over a year since Congress removed hemp from the federal list of highly restricted drugs in the 2018 farm bill, the pieces for nationwide hemp production are now falling into place. USDA last week signed off on half-a-dozen state and tribal plans for regulating hemp, the first approvals since the department proposed a broad framework in October, per Pro Cannabis's Mona Zhang.

USDA approved plans for Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio and three tribes, and federal regulators are reviewing proposals from 17 other states. Eight more states are still drafting plans.

Into the weeds: The three state plans that were approved include relatively strict language on hemp testing that hews closely to USDA's interim rule. Namely, they each mandate that hemp crops are tested by DEA-registered labs — sometimes putting the onus on farmers to find such a lab. The rigid USDA framework for testing and sampling has been a point of contention for some hemp advocates.

USDA also announced a new crop insurance program for hemp growers in select counties across 21 states, writes Pro Cannabis's Paul Demko. Coverage will be available in 2020 to farmers growing hemp for fiber, grain or cannabidiol, with certain requirements (like at least one year of experience growing hemp and a contract for selling the insured crop).

Reminder: The public comment period for USDA's hemp rules ends on Jan. 29.