Indiana is still awaiting approval from the United States Department of Agriculture on the state’s hemp program plan.
The legislature required Indiana submit a plan and receive approval from the federal government last year.
In the four-page letter, the state outlines how they’ll provide oversight and monitor farmers growing hemp.
Bruce Kettler is the Director at the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. He says the plant’s close similarities to marijuana plants causes the need for extra precautions.
“I get it from a growers perspective that this is not marijuana. We know that, they know that," he says. "Farmers understand that, but it’s not like the difference between a variety of corn.”
The Federal Register’s 45-page memo published last year establishes interim rules and guidelines for producers, processors, and policymakers.
Recently, a pair of Hoosier representatives wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to amend the initial ruling—the results of those suggestions are still pending.
