After decades of prohibition, the modern legal hemp industry is still in its infancy. Along with figuring out best practices for growing, harvesting, and processing the plant, the hemp sector is also navigating how best to transport the production generated by hemp farmers and processors.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Interim Final Rule (IFR) on hemp production, issued in late 2019, makes clear that the 2018 Farm Bill allows for the interstate transportation of hemp in the U.S. The IFR states specifically, “no state or Indian Tribe may prohibit the transportation or shipment of hemp.” Nevertheless, there have been several cases in numerous states where legal and properly-documented hemp shipments were stopped and in some cases seized by law enforcement, who claimed the vehicles were transporting marijuana.
This article lays out some of the considerations and precautions being taken by a hemp transport company currently serving clients across the U.S. In our upcoming Hemp Benchmarks Spot Price Index report for June, to be published later this month, we will provide detailed information on shipping rates for hemp biomass and other products, broken out by vehicle type and distance.
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