CSHB 172(JUD) - Industrial Hemp Regulation

• Establishes industrial hemp as an agricultural crop in Alaska and requires individuals producing it to register with the department on an annual basis, with no limit on the number of registrants.

• Defines industrial hemp as Cannabis sativa L. containing not more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, and products for human consumption may not exceed 0.3 percent THC.

• Registered producers may grow, harvest, possess, transport, process, sell, and buy industrial hemp using any propagation method, and may retain seeds for future cultivation and recondition hemp testing between 0.3-1 percent THC.

• Requires registrants to maintain records for at least three years showing the recipient and amount of industrial hemp transferred, subject to department inspection with three days' notice.

• Exempts industrial hemp from the definitions of "marijuana" in state law and clarifies that food containing industrial hemp or industrial hemp products is not adulterated.

• Authorizes the department and institutions of higher education to create and administer agricultural pilot programs to study industrial hemp growth, cultivation, and marketing.

• Sets department fees for registration and renewal to approximately equal the regulatory costs of overseeing the industrial hemp industry.