Local attorneys specializing in cannabis law have welcomed the recent federal government announcement on the launch of a U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program, writes Sam Wood for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The new program is a requirement of the 2018 Farm Bill and creates “a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States,” said Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a statement.

“We’ve been waiting for substantive and regulatory guidance since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,” said William Roark, a principal of Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin in Lansdale and co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s medical marijuana and hemp law committee.

Roark also added that while the draft regulations only represent the starting point,”it’s encouraging to see that the USDA recognizes the importance of guidance in this emerging industry.”

Hemp producers throughout the country will now be eligible to receive USDA protections, loans, and independent crop-disaster insurance.

Also, the USDA will track where hemp is grown and provide instructions on how to collect a sample to ensure that it does not contain THC in amounts higher than those permitted.

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