Minnesota Department of Agriculture to Host Industrial Hemp Forum

St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) invites anyone interested in hemp and hemp production to its 2022 Industrial Hemp Forum.

The half-day virtual evert will be held Wednesday, February 9, 2022, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is free to attend.

Forum topics include updates on the MDA’s hemp licensing requirements, new inspection requirements for those processing hemp into other products, and opportunities in fiber production.

“Our virtual forum is designed for anyone currently involved in the industry or those interested in getting involved with hemp production, processing, or marketing,” said MDA Assistant Commissioner Whitney Place. “We want to share as much information as we can about this crop so growers and processors can be successful.”

2022 will be the second year Minnesota will operate under a federally approved state plan that governs hemp production and regulation. The state previously worked under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020.

For more information on the 2022 Industrial Hemp Forum and to register, visit http://www.mda.state.mn.us/hempforum2022.

Background

Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. They differ by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant. Hemp has less than 0.3% THC, and levels above that are considered marijuana.

Minnesota Industrial Hemp Program Licensing and Acreage Statistics

Licensing and Acreage 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021*

Approved Applicants 7 47 65 505 586 424

Licensed Growers 6 33 43 350 461 347

Licensed Processors – Processing Only 0 5 8 49 77 77

Outdoor Acres Planted 38 1,202 709 7,353 4,690 2,445

Indoor Square Feet Planted 0 0 54,618 403,304 282,790 350,000

*Current estimates