Arizona’s Governor Signs Law to Speed Up Implementation of Hemp Program

Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey signed an amendment to the industrial hemp bill into law on February 20, 2019. The new law requires Arizona’s Department of Agriculture to speed up the adoption of rules that govern the licensing and oversight of the hemp industry to May 31, 2019. Arizona enacted an industrial hemp licensing program on May 14, 2018, which had an effective date of August 3, 2019. The industrial hemp law established a regulatory framework for overseeing the growing, processing, manufacturing, distributing and research of industrial hemp. The amendment speeds up the rulemaking process from August 3, 2019 to May 31, 2019. The amended law highlights the competitive pressure states are facing to implement a hemp program following the federal enactment of the Farm Bill.