Hemp program updated

Senators updated the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act Aug. 3 to harmonize it with new federal regulations.

LB1152, introduced by Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, requires the state Department of Agriculture to receive and process all completed license applications and issue licenses to qualified applicants.

It also requires licensees to maintain a record of hemp shipments sent from or received by the licensee.

Additionally, the bill references a federal definition of “acceptable hemp THC level” and requires testing laboratories to measure the total THC in a hemp sample and report a measurement of uncertainty along with the test results.

LB1152 clarifies that the lot represented by a hemp sample must be harvested within 15 days.

The bill also defines a negligent violation of the act and clarifies that the presence of uncultivated, naturalized hemp plants in the environment is not considered cultivation for purposes of the act.

Finally, it authorizes the Nebraska Hemp Commission to preserve and develop certain Nebraska heirloom hemp varieties.

LB1152 passed on a vote of 44-3 and takes effect immediately.