Is growing hemp legal in Illinois?
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wordsmith
Growing of hemp in Illinois is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. The Department of Agriculture of Illinois requires a license to cultivate hemp. The department also released a set of rules for the regulation of the hemp plant. There will be an application fee of $100 for the issuance of a license in growing the plant.
CrayM
Yes! IL has one of the more relaxed rules surrounding it, too, supplying a website and a simple process to obtain the necessary license. Once completed and approved, you will want to have a business plan in place and identify any hurdles you may need to overcome, so you start on the right path.
amanda.tolar
Yes! Just as Moog and Lizzie mentioned, it’s legal in Illinois, as long as you follow the state’s rules. I don’t expect them to be too strenuous and strict, though, as Illinois has now legalized recreational marijuana. I know in Kentucky, at least, a lot of the rules regarded possession, since only those with licenses could legally possess hemp.
Moogdummy
Yes, it is legal since the 2018 farm bill passed; it made it legal for all 50 states.
Though, every state will have its own regulations surrounding its own hemp program.
It looks like Lizzie above me included the link to a page that has an application.
Lizzie
I just checked, and yes, it is legal to grow Hemp in Illinois.
The state websites say, “Under the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills, farmers, universities, and the Department of Agriculture can grow Hemp with some conditions. There must be a research component, and anyone that wants to grow Hemp must apply for and be awarded a Hemp Grower’s License.”
So, if you’re a farmer, you definitely can if you are using it for manufacturing purposes.
Here is the form to get a license approved https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Plants/Pages/Industrial-Hemp.aspx