Emergency rules were signed into law last week establishing testing standards for Michigan’s first industrial hemp crop.

The state’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced the implementation of rules that will help to provide a clear direction for Michigan’s first crop of industrial hemp.

Since the launch of the state’s hemp pilot program for the 2019 planting season, MDARD has processed 541 hemp grower registrations across the state covering more than 32,000 acres. Additionally, 389 processor-handler licenses have been issued.

The new rules establish proper sampling and analytical testing methods for measuring the concentration of THC in the crop to ensure levels do not exceed approved levels.

A link to the rules, sampling procedures and other information about Michigan’s industrial hemp pilot program, may be found at: http://michigan.gov/IndustrialHemp.