Hemp Producer FAQ's

Yes.  A hemp producer license is required per person, per location for any person who possesses rooted hemp or who cultivates cannabis for introduction into commerce, regardless of the quantity.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.03(1)

For more information about obtaining a hemp producer license, please visit Hemp Producer Licensing.

Yes.  A nationwide criminal background check, facilitated through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, for the person identified as legally responsible for applicant’s operations is required.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01.03(2)(h)

The report MUST be based on fingerprints and be dated within 60 days of a hemp producer application being submitted.

For more information about nationwide background checks, please visit FBI Identity History Summary Checks. 

Yes, according to 0080-06-28-.03  and the Final Rule License Application and Fees.

               An application for license shall include    

 (c)       Proof of one of the following for any applicant that is not an individual or a general partnership:

1. Applicant’s registration in its state of incorporation; or,
2. Applicant’s business license issued by a local governmental authority; And must submit EIN.

Yes.  Hemp producers MUST report hemp crop acreage to FSA annually and within 30 days of new crops being planted.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01.06(1)(h)

Reports MUST meet all FSA requirements, including:

1. Street address and GPS location of site for each area where hemp will be grown;

2. Total acreage or square footage dedicated to production of hemp; and

3. Licensee’s hemp producer license number           

To locate your local FSA office, please visit USDA Service Center Locator.

No.  TDA does not require soil testing for hemp producers.

If you are interested in soil testing for your operation, please contact the UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center.

Products approved for use in Tennessee for use on HEMP (HEMP on the label)

No. The individual is responsible for choosing the propagative material, whether certified or not.

Individuals are responsible for sourcing their own propagative material. Click here for a list of licensed hemp seed sellers. Hemp Alliance of Tennessee is a great resource. Visit www.yourhat.org or email info@yourhat.org

Hemp seed is regulated like any other seed being sold in Tennessee. If your name is on the seed label, you are required to obtain a TN Seed Sellers License. Information for obtaining a Seed Sellers License can be found here.

* If you are growing seedlings or clones for sale, you will need a Hemp Propagator License.
*If you are buying and re-selling seedlings or clones, you will need a Hemp Broker License.
*ALL licenses expire JUNE 30th. If you apply & receive a license now, IT WILL EXPIRE JUNE 30, 2025.

All producers must be inspected by TDA and each variety/grow area must be sampled as described in the USDA Final Rule. Inspections will continue to be done by TDA inspectors at no charge. Inspections may be conducted at any time during regular business hours.   Inspections include any location, licensed by the department, for the purpose of inspecting any cannabis plant, record, or other material as necessary for the efficient enforcement of the Act and this chapter.

TDA uses HPLC-MS to calculate Total THC. Compliance will be Total THC .3% beginning January 1, 2022 in accordance with USDA Final Rule.

The hemp producer/propagator/broker may choose between AgWin/HATS or TDA to conduct their sampling/testing. Every variety/grow area must be sampled and tested for compliance of .3% Total THC in accordance with the USDA Final Rule. Within 30 days after sampling, the crop must be harvested with a Harvest Report completed and submitted.

AG0770-2023 Hemp Harvest Report.pdf - Submit to industrial.hemp@tn.gov when completed. Some considerations when choosing your sampling agent:

It is the customer’s responsibility to contact AgWin/HATS or TDA at least 30 days prior to anticipated harvest date to schedule sampling.

Yes, and TDA encourages self-monitoring of industrial hemp crops. A google search will give you multiple options for labs. Please note that 3rd party test results do not replace sampling conducted by HATS or TDA.

Submitting Your Harvest Report - Submit to industrial.hemp@tn.gov when completed.

Reasonable interpretation of the bill at issue may require that the grower’s license that is required in the transport truck be the license that is representative of the concentrate being transported. In other words, not just any license will do.

It has to be the license for the farm that grew the hemp that was used to create the concentrate.
 

USDA's Farm Service Agency is working on developing assistance for hemp growers.