Many Changes To Hemp Reported Between 2014, 2018 Farm Bills

USDA General Counsel Stephen Vaden points to some of the major differences between authorities for hemp in the 2014 versus the 2018 Farm Bills.

"While the 2014 authority referred only to states and certain research institutions, meaning universities, the 2018 Farm Bill explicitly includes Indian tribes.

Another major difference is how USDA's role has changed since 2014.

"At that time it went down to the states, and the states implemented it as they saw fit, with very little to no federal government oversight."

The 2018 program gives USDA a more robust role.

"It established a complete regulatory framework that required by statute USDA oversight of the tribes and states that submitted their plans under the program"

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