Wisconsin hemp license deadline is May 1

Posted: April 27, 2018 by Gary Storck
Category: Hemp

The deadline this year to apply for a license to grow or process industrial hemp from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Wisconsin's new hemp law 2017 Act 100 requires growers and processors to be licensed. A grower license allows the planting and harvesting of industrial hemp, while a processor license allows the storage, handling, and conversion of the hemp into a marketable form. Both are lifetime licenses. Those processing only hemp they grow need only the grower license.

On April 6, Cannabadger reported DATCP had received about 60 license applications and issued 25 licenses as of April 5. We were unable to obtain current figures from DATCP at the time. Hemp licensing was opened on March 2, 2018.

The Wisconsin deadline comes as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced federal legislation that would remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. McConnell has indicated he plans to include his new hemp bill in the Farm Bill Congress is expected to take up in the near future.