ISDA lays out strict hemp rules; processors and growers urge changes to lot fees, harvest windows and remediation

The Idaho Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee heard a detailed presentation on the state’s industrial hemp program from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and industry participants, who said the crop has economic promise but faces regulatory frictions.

Director Michelle Tewalt of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture told the committee that Idaho’s hemp program follows the federal 2018 Farm Bill for on-farm production but adopts stricter state standards for other matters. "Idaho is more stringent than the federal standard," Tewalt said, noting Idaho’s allowable tetrahydrocannabinol limit on farm is 0.3 percent by dry weight compared with the federal 1 percent guidance cited to USDA. She added that once hemp leaves a licensed handler’s facility, "it has to be a 0% THC product," saying the state draws a bright line between licensed production and retail products.

Why it matters: Growers, processors and an emerging manufacturing cluster told the committee that fiber and grain hemp can provide new crops and local industry — but licensing fees, per-lot inspection charges, a 30-day harvest-testing deadline and remediation rules raise costs or operational hurdles that can discourage participation.

Program basics and agency view Tewalt said House Bill 126 (2021) required ISDA to develop an administratively detailed state plan tied to USDA approval and stakeholder review. She described the program as "incredibly onerous and very heavy regulatory" and said fees are high because the program must largely fund itself and demands substantial personnel for licensing, testing and…