Ag department nixes deadline for hemp growth registration

Colorado Department of Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar has signed an emergency rule relaxing registration deadlines for Colorado’s industrial hemp industry.

The rule lets Colorado hemp producers register to grow the crop 30 days before planting, allowing registration at any time of the year while eliminating the May 1 registration deadline.
The rule also requires registrants to file a report with the ag department 30 days before harvest rather than seven days beforehand.

The report producers must file with the state before harvest will help the agriculture department test the crop to ensure lower levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of the…