The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for 2009 industrial hemp production licenses.
“The applications are due Jan. 1,” said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “Although the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration continues to prevent holders of state licenses from growing industrial hemp, NDDA remains committed to fully implementing state laws authorizing the production, processing and sale of this crop in North Dakota.”
Johnson cautioned prospective growers that the process involves state and federal criminal background checks including fingerprints, together with associated fees and paperwork.
People interested in growing and processing industrial hemp should contact Ken Junkert at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture NDDA at 701-328-2231 or
kjunkert@nd.gov. More information is also available on the NDDA Web site,
www.agdepartment.com
Johnson issued state licenses to two farmers — Rep. David Monson, Osnabrock, and Wayne Hauge, Ray — in 2008. After DEA failed to act on their applications as bulk manufacturers of industrial hemp, Monson and Hauge sued DEA in federal court. The case is currently on appeal before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul.
“Unless the federal courts act favorably on the matter, it may take congressional action to amend the Controlled Substances Act, enabling state-licensed growers to produce the crop,” Johnson said. “This is unfortunate because industrial hemp production has virtually no potential for illegitimate purposes and because the crop could be valuable for North Dakota growers.”
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Source: The Jamestown Sun
Copyright: 2008 Forum Communications, Co.
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Industrial hemp production licenses accepted by N.D. ag department | The Jamestown Sun | Jamestown, North Dakota