No CBD in food, no applications from felons under new Utah hemp rules

Utah approved new hemp rules to allow production to begin with the next growing season – and while the regulations allow for cannabinoid extraction, adding CBD to foods is a strict no-go.

The state plans to charge hemp farmers $500 for a one-year license.

Hemp can be grown for CBD extraction, and both indoor and outdoor growing with no acreage limits is allowed.

Other rules include:

• A lifetime ban from applying for a license for felons and a 10-year ban for people convicted of drug-related misdemeanors.
• Reporting requirements for water used on hemp crops and any pests or weed pressures that affect the crop.
• Spot sampling for THC content. Plants with more than 0.3% THC must be destroyed, but farmers won’t face criminal penalties unless plants test above 1% THC.

Scott Erickson, deputy commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, told Utah Public Radio that the state isn’t sure yet how to destroy hemp crops that exceed the THC limits.

“We’ll determine how that happens on a case-by-case basis,” Erickson said.

Utah also plans to license hemp processors, with fees set at $1,000 a year. Processors planning to perform cannabinoid extraction must:

• Follow FDA manufacturing rules for dietary supplements.
• Be more than 1,000 feet away from a school or public recreation site.
• Not use butane or propane for extraction.

The rules include a $200-per-year labeling fee for consumer-ready goods, which have their own rules, including:

• A ban on adding CBD to a food product.
• Requirements to test for pesticides and other contaminants.
• A requirement to test the products’ cannabinoid profiles.

Utah expects to start taking hemp applications Oct. 15.