News Release

Today, the Missouri Department of Agriculture posted proposed rules for the Missouri Industrial Hemp Program three weeks early. The rules, as required by provisions in Senate Bill 133, will amend existing regulations and transition the legal growth of industrial hemp in Missouri from a pilot research program to a commercially regulated program.

The Department posted the proposed rules in advance of the public comment period to give interested producers ample opportunity to thoroughly review each rule. The public comment period will open on the Department’s website on Nov. 1, 2019. Missouri’s final rules will incorporate citizen feedback from this process, as well as federal regulatory guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Department anticipates that applications for Missouri’s Industrial Hemp Program will be made available as a fillable PDF by Dec. 2, 2019.

The Missouri Industrial Hemp Program framework is structured into two parts:

• Producer Registration: Authorizes a person who is a Missouri resident, or an entity that is domiciled in this state, to cultivate industrial hemp.
• Agricultural Hemp Propagule and Seed Permit: Authorizes a permit holder to sell, distribute, or offer for sale any viable agricultural hemp propagule or agricultural hemp seed to registered producers or other permit holders.

Citizens may view the proposed rules, additional resources and frequently asked questions at Agriculture.Mo.Gov/plants/industrial-hemp. A formal comment form will be made available after the rules are published in the Missouri Register on Nov. 1, 2019.

To learn more about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov. To receive updates related to Missouri’s Industrial Hemp Program, subscribe using our GovDelivery email service.