Hemp Farmers Given Two More Months to Apply for Licenses

State regulators are giving prospective hemp farmers another
two months to apply for licenses for the 2019 growing season. The Department of
Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection is extending the deadline for new
license applications and registration renewals from December 31^st to
March 1^st – citing the need for more time for growers to find land,
seed sources, and markets. 

A bill signed last November allowed Wisconsin farmers to grow industrial hemp – but prohibits
plants from containing more than 0.3 percent THC. Farmers with drug convictions
are not eligible for licenses. DATCP licensed 242 hemp farmers for the 2018
season – and 139 of those reportedly planted.