Hemp

Background

On December 19, 2019, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors approved the Hemp APH Insurance Program, a privately developed product submitted under section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act. It is available for the 2020 crop year for producers in certain counties in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) enacted on December 20, 2018, includes language in Section 11122 to improve effectiveness of WFRP. Per the Farm Bill, the Risk Management Agency (RMA) held several stakeholder meetings with agents, producers, and grower groups to solicit recommendations to increase flexibility and effectiveness of the program. As a result of these meetings, RMA presented several changes to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors (FCIC Board).

Background

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) altered the legal status of Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis) with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Specifically, the Farm Bill amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA) to address how industrial hemp is to be defined and regulated at the Federal level. Prior to passage of the Farm Bill, any form of cannabis was a controlled substance under the CSA.