6/21/2024  -  To grow hemp legally in North Carolina, you need a hemp production license issued by the USDA. The requirements for the USDA hemp production license include a FBI Identity History Summary (criminal background check) and fingerprinting. In addition, growers have to select and pay for a USDA certified sampling agent to collect their compliance samples, select the lab for those samples to be sent to, and pay for the lab testing. There is, however, no fee for the license itself. The grower must also register with their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office and report their acreage each year.

Here is the link to the National Hemp Program.

Here is the link to the NC Hemp Program Transition Webinar.

To apply for a USDA hemp production license, you will need to create an account using the Hemp eManagement Platform.

Here is the list of the USDA certified sampling agents in North Carolina (and there are many!): USDA Certified Sampling Agent Directory.

The USDA Hemp Program folks have been very responsive. You can email them at farmbill.hemp@usda.gov

We do not have a list of buyers to include here. We suggest attending hemp conferences and tradeshows, searching online, talking to other growers, etc.

Reviewed and updated on 9/6/2024 by Jeanine Davis