Senate Bill 2725, also known as the Mississippi Hemp Cultivation Act, was signed into law on June 29, 2020. This act legalized the cultivation of hemp under a state plan to be created and implemented by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. Although the act allowed for a state hemp cultivation program, the necessary funding to implement the program was not appropriated by the Mississippi Legislature.
As a result, currently the only legal option for a producer to cultivate hemp in Mississippi now is to obtain a hemp license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the USDA Domestic Hemp Production Program. The application may be viewed here: USDA Hemp Application (PDF). When applying for a USDA hemp production license, the applicant must provide a copy of an FBI criminal history report. Instructions on how to obtain the report from the FBI may be viewed here: FBI Criminal History Report. An applicant will not receive a USDA hemp production license if the applicant has been convicted of a felony related to a controlled substance in the last 10 years. Once issued, USDA hemp production licenses are active for three years unless the State of Mississippi elects to administer a State hemp production program.
Due to remote work conditions in Washington, D.C., the USDA strongly encourages all applications be sent electronically to farmbill.hemp@usda.gov for expedited processing.
Alternatively, completed applications can be mailed with a copy of the FBI criminal history report to USDA/AMS/Specialty Crops Program, Hemp Branch, 470 L’Enfant Plaza S.W., Post Office Box 23192, Washington D.C. 20026.
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce does not issue hemp licenses.
All requirements and information related to the USDA hemp program may be viewed at https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp. If you have questions, please email farmbill.hemp@usda.gov or call 202-720-2491.
