La. Admin. Code tit. 7 § XIII-1330

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XIII-1330 - Industrial Hemp Research

A. Except for those entities exempted pursuant to R.S. 3:1469, all research institutions who intend to perform industrial hemp research shall possess a valid license with LDAF, and submit an annual industrial hemp research plan to LDAF. The research plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

1. a detailed research summary outlining the purpose and objectives that demonstrates to LDAF's satisfaction that research of hemp is being performed;

2. all locations where industrial hemp research will be conducted;

3. strain(s) and/or variety(ies) of industrial hemp used in the research;

4. a timeline of all research activities;

5. a destruction plan for all cannabis plants involved in the research;

6. results of hemp-related research information and findings conducted by the licensee during the previous 12-month period. Trade secret or patent information developed from hemp research may be omitted from the annual research plan so long as it is necessary for the research institution to protect such information; and

7. any other information as may be requested by LDAF.

B. No industrial hemp research shall be performed without first obtaining written approval of a research plan from LDAF;

C. No industrial hemp research shall be performed on strains or varieties not pre-approved by LDAF;

D. Any change(s) to the research plan must be submitted in writing to, and approved by, LDAF prior to implementation of the change(s);

E. Industrial hemp or industrial hemp plant parts grown for research purposes shall not be offered for sale or enter the stream of commerce, except as otherwise provided in this Chapter;

F. Industrial hemp grown for research purposes shall be subject to the inspection, record keeping, sampling, and testing requirements as set forth in this Chapter;

G. Licensees producing industrial hemp for both commercial and research purposes at the same location shall meet the following minimum isolation requirements between commercial and research plants and plant parts:

1. material grown or stored indoors shall be separated at all times by contiguous walls extending from the floor to the structure's ceiling; and

2. material grown or stored outdoors shall be separated by a minimum distance of twenty (20) feet at all times;

H. Each industrial hemp lot and harvested plant material produced for research purposes shall be plainly and clearly identified with the following information;

1. "for research purposes," and

2. the name of the strain or variety.

I. Research institutions shall be assessed a negligent violation if the THC content of a sample collected by LDAF exceeds 1 percent total delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Research institutions shall not receive more than one negligent violation in a growing season.

J. If during the course of cultivation, the research institution decides to convert an industrial hemp research plot into commercial production, then the plot shall comply with the sampling and testing requirements set forth in this Chapter.

La. Admin. Code tit. 7, § XIII-1330

Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission, LR 471837 (12/1/2021).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:1464 and R.S. 3:1469.