Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the commercial production of hemp and authorized states to submit plans to administer hemp programs. Act 164 of the 2019 Louisiana Legislative Session, what is now known as the Industrial Hemp Law was signed by Governor John Bel Edwards on June 6, 2019, which recognized industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity in Louisiana. The Law authorizes the commercial cultivation and processing of hemp in Louisiana. The Law also required the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to license and regulate hemp in Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry began the hemp licensing application process in early February 2020.