Letter to the Hon. Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, the Hon. Uttam Dhillon, Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Hon. Kevin McAleenan, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection - U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Presses Nation's Top Agriculture, Drug Enforcement, and Customs Officials to Clear Bureaucratic Hurdles for Minnesota Farmers Growing Industrial Hemp

Letter

Dear Secretary Perdue, Commissioner McAleenan, and Acting Administrator Dhillon,

As you all know, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which was signed into law on December 20, 2018, removed hemp from the list of controlled substances, established hemp as a legal agricultural commodity and authorized the production, consumption and sale of hemp products in the United States.

It has come to my attention that Minnesota farmers who want to grow hemp are running into obstacles regarding the importation of hemp seed. I have heard from my constituents that these obstacles stem from a lack of coordination between federal agencies, specifically the United States Department of Agriculture, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In particular, a Minnesotan informed my office that the CBP will not allow hemp seeds into the country without a DEA permit, but DEA is no longer granting any permits because hemp is no longer treated as a controlled substance.

Congress' clear intent in last year's law was to make it easier, not harder, for farmers to grow industrial hemp. The apparent bureaucratic failure described above is counter to Congressional intent, and more importantly, it is hurting Minnesota farmers. With planting season quickly approaching, I ask that you review this situation immediately, and update me on how you are addressing it.

Thank you for looking into this matter.

Sincerely,

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