Feds delay requirement for hemp to be tested at DEA-licensed labs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has again extended a deadline for federally approved hemp to be tested at Drug Enforcement Administration-licensed labs.

Now, hemp produced under the USDA’s Domestic Hemp Production Program can have products tested at labs that aren’t certified by the DEA through the end of 2025, according to a Thursday news release.

The USDA delayed the requirement last year, pushing a planned Dec. 31, 2023, deadline to the end of 2024.

Testing laboratories apparently are having difficulty meeting DEA requirements or receiving certification from the agency, according to feedback the USDA has received from state and tribal governments as well as labs themselves.

The USDA noted in its release there have been “setbacks” and “delays” for labs attempting to complete “the DEA laboratory registration process.”

“Because of these setbacks in the completion of the DEA process, USDA is concerned there will be inadequate approved hemp laboratory testing capacity for the 2025 growing season,” the agency said.

“Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.”

According to the USDA’s most recent National Hemp Report, hemp production is down nationwide from a recent peak.

Indoor hemp production plummeted from 15.5 million square feet under cultivation in 2021 to 3.2 million square feet in 2023.

Planters reported 27,680 acres of outdoor hemp “for all utilizations,” a 2% drop from 2022.