Source: POLTICO'S MORNING AGRICULTRUE, 2/18/20

Producers are feeling uneasy about the role of law enforcement in the burgeoning industry, saying they are being treated like criminals because laboratories testing the crop must be certified by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pro Ag's Liz Crampton reports this morning.

Under USDA's new hemp regulations, farmers will have to get used to shipping off parts of their crop so those labs can verify it doesn't contain illegal amounts of THC, the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana. If a hemp harvest is deemed non-compliant because THC levels are too high — above 0.3 percent — the crop must be destroyed under the supervision of a law enforcement officer.

Law enforcement shouldn't be involved unless there is evidence someone was doing something improper, such as a farmer with a hemp license growing marijuana, argued Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp.

Other critics are worried that DEA lab certification will be a major bottleneck to testing, which must take place during a 15-day window before harvest. There are 44 labs currently able to process hemp samples, according to USDA. Some states, including Alabama, don't have a single lab.