Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2025 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30. Each license is valid only through December 31 of the year it is issued. Licensees must reapply annually to remain in the program. A license from the MDA is required for individuals and businesses.
To date, about 50 people have applied for a 2025 MDA license. In 2024, there were 183 applicants.
These licenses are for growing and processing industrial hemp only. The hemp grower or processor application is not for the growth or sale of adult-use or medical cannabis. The application is also not intended for the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Adult-use and medical cannabis information can be found on the Office of Cannabis Management website.
The industrial hemp application can be found on the MDA website. Along with the online form, first-time applicants and authorized representatives need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.
Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2025:
- All authorized representatives designated by the applicant must pass a criminal history background check prior to the issuance of a license.
- Every lot of hemp grown requires pre-harvest THC regulatory testing. Each official regulatory sample collected by the MDA will cost $100.
- The MDA licenses processors that handle raw hemp and initially process it by extraction, decortication, devitalization, crushing, or packaging, and the department will continue random inspections of processor locations.
- License fees will remain the same for new and returning applicants plus a 5% surcharge to support the modernization of the MDA's technology systems. The minimum cost of a grower license is $400. A processing license is a minimum of $500.
Questions about the MDA’s Industrial Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600.
Background
Industrial hemp, hemp, cannabis, adult-use cannabis and marijuana are all types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. Industrial hemp differs by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant containing 0.3% Total THC or less, and levels above that are considered adult-use cannabis or marijuana. MDA does not license or oversee the manufacture or sale of Hemp-derived cannabinoid extracts and products. They are regulated by the Office of Cannabis Management.
Minnesota operated under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020. In 2021, the program began operating under a new, federally approved state plan that governs production and regulation.
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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us
The Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) Hazard Analysis, and Risk Based Preventative Controls for Human Food (21 CFR 117) i
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Examples of Research Collaboration Projects
The detection of red star rust (Gymnosporangium yamadae) in Minnesota in 2022 revealed many gaps in information about how to manage this novel disease.
In response, the MDA Plant Protection Division and the University of Minnesota (UMN) Departments of Horticulture and Plant Pathology received funding and began work on a Specialty Crop Block Grant titled Identifying Best Management Practices for Red Star Rust, Invasive Pathogen of Apple & Nursery Crops.
The goals of this project are to test commonly grown Minnesota apple and crabapple cultivars for resistance or susceptibility to red star rust, identify fungicides that can protect junipers from infection, and monitor for spores to refine spray recommendations for Minnesota’s climate.
All management information will be shared with nurseries, landscape professionals, and apple growers. Research is being conducted at the UMN Horticulture Research Station.
