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The application deadline for hemp cultivation licenses is Friday, May 1, 2020. The application must be completed by that time, or the Ohio Department of Agriculture will consider the application abandoned. There are no plans to further extend the deadline due to the COVID-19 pandemic (the original deadline was March 31, 2020).

The Ohio Department of Agriculture reports that about 150 licenses have been issued so far. There are about 150 more applications that have not been completed. Seventy-five of those applicants have not done anything, fifty applicants have provided an e-mail address, and twenty-five applicants have completed enough that it appears they want to be licensed.

The application fee is $100, and the license is good for three years. There is an annual licensing fee of $500 per growing location.

Processors will be required to test each lot. They will collect samples and test them in an accredited testing lab that meets ODA requirements. Processors must pay an application fee of $100. Annual license fees are $500 for processing raw grain, $500 for processing raw fiber, and $3000 for processing the raw floral component. Annual license fees for processing cannabinoids in human and animal food, dietary supplements, cosmetics and personal care products for each processing site are $500 for wholesale production and $250 for retail production.

Universities are allowed to cultivate and process hemp without a license for research purposes. Non-university research is also allowed, but entities must obtain a license and are not permitted to sell any of their research material.

If you have any questions about Ohio’s Hemp program, or any other licenses in Ohio, you should consider contacting an attorney at Graff & McGovern. John Izzo of Graff & McGovern can be reached at 614-228-5800, extension 5.