HB 1358 Summary

• Authorizes growing, handling, and commerce of industrial hemp (cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC on a dry mass basis) as a regulated agricultural product in Mississippi.

• Requires all hemp growers and handlers to obtain licenses from the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, with minimum 2.5-acre crop size for growers; licenses valid for three years and nontransferable.

• Establishes record-keeping, inspection, and testing requirements; department may seize crops exceeding 0.3% THC concentration and collect reasonable licensing fees.

• Permits growers to retain seed from crops for future planting without a special permit, and authorizes agricultural hemp seed production permits for commercial seed sales.

• Exempts licensed industrial hemp from classification as a hallucinogenic substance under controlled substance laws; violators without licenses face criminal penalties for unlicensed hemp production.