The article is not a substitute for legal advice.

I recently contributed an article to Maryland Bar Bulletin on changes to hemp restrictions in the 2018 Farm Bill and what needs to happen before farmers can grow the crop legally. The Maryland Bar Bulletin recently published the article online.

Although the 2018 Farm Bill decriminalizes hemp, the law requires that growers produce the crop under a state’s hemp production plan or a hemp production plan developed by USDA in certain situations. Until a hemp production plan is approved by USDA, hemp remains illegal to grow outside of research programs. To learn more, click here (on page 11 and 18).