NC S313

Establishes the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission to oversee an agricultural pilot program for cultivating industrial hemp with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration not exceeding 0.3% on a dry weight basis.

Commission consists of five members including the Commissioner of Agriculture (vice-chair), a municipal chief of police, an elected sheriff, a State university agricultural science faculty member, and an experienced full-time farmer.

Authorizes the Commission to issue cultivation licenses for commercial hemp production, charge initial graduated fees up to $10,000 per licensee and annual fees of $250 plus $2 per acre cultivated, with incentives for small farmers and economically disadvantaged counties.

Requires the Commission to pursue federal permits or waivers from the Drug Enforcement Agency necessary for industrial hemp cultivation and establish rules for testing THC levels, supervising growth and harvest, and assisting law enforcement.

Act expires when Congress removes industrial hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act and the Commission submits a resolution that the State pilot program is no longer necessary.