La Ley de Mejora de la Agricultura de 2018 (Farm Bill de 2018) legalizó el cáñamo al excluir este cultivo y sus derivados de la definición de marihuana recogida en la Ley de Sustancias Controladas (CSA) y al establecer un marco normativo detallado para su cultivo. La Farm Bill de 2018 otorga al Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) la competencia reguladora sobre el cultivo de cáñamo a nivel federal. A su vez, los estados tienen la opción de mantener la autoridad reguladora principal sobre el cultivo que se realiza dentro de sus fronteras mediantela presentación de un planal USDA.
Esta interacción entre el ámbito federal y el estatal ha dado lugar a numerosos cambios legislativos y normativos a nivel estatal. De hecho, la mayoría de los estados han presentado (y aprobado) proyectos de ley que autorizarían la producción comercial de cáñamo dentro de sus fronteras. Un número menor, aunque creciente, de estados también regula la venta de productos derivados del cáñamo.
In light of the rapidly evolving legislative changes, we are also presenting a 50-state series analyzing how each jurisdiction treats hemp-derived cannabidiol (Hemp CBD). Today we turn to West Virginia.
West Virginia is one of the few dozen states and tribes that has had a hemp production plan officially approved by the USDA. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WDVA) regulates hemp cultivation in West Virginia. Even before the USDA approved West Virginia's hemp production plan WVDA was issuing hemp licenses pursuant to the Industrial Hemp Development Act and corresponding regulations. Under current West Virginia law, a hemp license (specific to a designated property) is required to cultivate and process hemp. The state imposes pre-harvest testing requirements on cultivators to ensure compliance with state and federal THC limits. And the state has specific enforcement and penalty guidelines for licensees who violate local laws. The cultivation program is fairly standard in terms of what we are seeing in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill.
When it comes to West CBD, West Virginia takes a more interesting approach. The Industrial Hemp Development Act is very lax when it comes to Hemp CBD products, allowing them to be sold in the state. The law specifically notes that Hemp CBD may be added to cosmetics, products intended for human and animal consumption, and other products without being considered an adulterant. However, the law states:
Retail sales of hemp products may be conducted when the products and the hemp used in the products were grown and cultivated legally in another state or jurisdiction and meet the same or substantially the same requirements for processing hemp products or growing hemp under this article and rules promulgated [under the Industrial Hemp Development Act].
To date, it does not appear that regulations have been issued in West Virginia. WVDA posted proposed hemp products regulations on its website, along with information about those proposed regulations, but they don't appear to have taken effect yet. According to the information accompanying the proposed regulations, registration with the state will be required to make, distribute, or sell hemp products. While it's not clear what the status of these regulations are just yet, it is clear that if they take effect, they will create a much more involved regulatory framework that in other states.
We’ll continue to monitor all things hemp in West Virginia and elsewhere. For previous coverage in this series, check out the links below:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawái
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Luisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Míchigan
- Minnesota
- Misisipi
- Misuri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Nuevo Hampshire
- Nueva Jersey
- Nuevo México
- Nueva York
- Carolina del Norte
- Dakota del Norte
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregón
- Pensilvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- Carolina del Sur
- Dakota del Sur
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Islas Vírgenes de los Estados Unidos
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
