Bill Summary: HB 6500 - Hemp Program Statute Revisions

• Repeals and replaces section 22-61l of Connecticut's general statutes to establish comprehensive definitions and regulatory framework for hemp production, including terms adopted from federal regulations (7 CFR 990.1) such as acceptable THC levels, testing methods, and remediation procedures.

• Requires hemp producers to be licensed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, submit detailed applications with geospatial lot locations, undergo fingerprint-based criminal history checks, and pay licensing fees ($50 application fee, $450 base license fee for up to one acre plus $30 per additional acre, capped at $3,000).

• Establishes an agricultural pilot program for hemp research requiring all producer licensees to participate, with mandatory compliance to federal standards for sampling, testing, and disposal of noncompliant plants; sampling and testing costs borne by licensees.

• Prohibits individuals with felony convictions related to controlled substances from obtaining producer licenses for ten years, with exemptions for those who lawfully grew hemp under prior state pilot programs before December 20, 2018.

• Specifies that hemp and hemp products containing no more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight are not controlled substances, and hemp-derived cannabidiols (including CBD) are classified as foods rather than controlled substances when intended for human ingestion.