Federal agriculture authorities have submitted hemp rules to the White House for final approval, meaning that public release of the first-ever national rules for growing the crop is nearing!

The hemp industry is eagerly – and anxiously – awaiting federal regulations on hemp production from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Those rules have been promised by the 2020 growing season.

According to Washington DC-based cannabis attorney Jonathan Havens and the National Hemp Association, the USDA has completed the rules and submitted them for review to the White House Office of Budget and Management, which reviews all regulations adopted and implemented by a presidential administration.

This means once approved, the USDA regulations will likely be released within a matter of weeks.

“Obviously, this is later than USDA’s August publication goal,” Havens said.

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which spearheaded drafting federal hemp production regulations, said in June the agency would release the federal regulations Aug. 1.

But William Richmond, head of the Specialty Crops Program in the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, said last month the