The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving hemp cultivators one more year to secure a lab that is registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration to test products.
The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service originally set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2023.
But because there isn’t enough DEA-registered laboratory testing capacity, facilities that aren’t registered with the agency can be used until Dec. 31, 2023, according to a USDA news release.
The USDA “is delaying enforcement of this requirement based on input received from state and tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities that have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process,” according to the release, which included a link to a list of DEA-registered labs.
“Because of these delays, USDA is concerned there will be inadequate hemp laboratory testing capacity for the 2023 growing season.”
