Wisconsin’s Hemp Program Officially Allowed to Produce CBD

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n May 10, a Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) press release was unveiled, detailing how cannabidiol (CBD) that is produced under the state’s hemp program is legal now.

Officials from the DOJ met on May 9 with other lawmakers to discuss concerns about CBD extraction and its legality under the hemp program. The meeting resulted in three main points detailing how farmers can: “1. Grow industrial hemp without fear of criminal prosecution. 2. Sell the entire industrial hemp plant or parts of the plant to anyone. 3. Process the plant as permitted by DATCP’s rules and regulations, which includes producing CBD.” According to TMJ4, 350 farmers sent in applications to cultivate hemp, and of those applicants more than 70 licenses were granted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Just last month, the DOJ announced that it was illegal to possess or sell CBD oil. However the DOJ’s decision has since been clarified, and now it is acceptable to either cultivate or sell industrial hemp. Previously, the rules only allowed doctors and pharmacies to prescribe CBD oil, and patients must have a doctor’s certification as well.

According to Wausau Chief of Police Ben Bliven, the DOJ’s new decision is a welcome one. “Law enforcement has encountered products labeled as CBD oil throughout the state and, until the DOJ analytical note, had no guidance on what products are legally and properly manufactured and what products might be harmful to consumers,” said Bliven. “I appreciate the additional clarity Attorney General Schimel has provided to keep Wisconsinites safe from potentially harmful substances.”

Attorney General Brad Schimel also noted in the press release that he is fully in support of industrial hemp and how a hemp-based oil can benefit medical patients in the state. “We all have always had full confidence in the successful implementation of the industrial hemp program in Wisconsin,” Attorney General Brad Schimel said in the news release. “Industrial hemp has the promise of being an important part of our critical agricultural economy, and Wisconsin farmers who choose to participate in this pilot program deserve and need legislative and regulatory certainty from all parts of government.”