NCDA&CS Letter
TO: North Carolina Hemp Licensees
From: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Plant Industry Division
RE: PRE-HARVEST Hemp testing for TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC)
The North Carolina Hemp Pilot Program under 02 NCAC 62 .0103 requires all plantings of hemp to be subject to sampling and testing for THC levels by the Plant Industry Division. License holders are responsible for notifying the Plant Industry Division at the time of initiation of floral buds. License holders are responsible for the cost of all laboratory analytical services of the sample, billable to the license holder by the laboratory performing the analysis.
Additionally, the Pilot Program incorporates by reference the 2018 United States Farm Bill, which directed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt rules implementing requirements for both federal and state hemp programs. The Interim Final Rule adopted by USDA, effective October 31, 2019, specifies that within 15 days prior to the anticipated harvest of hemp, a Federal, State, local, or Tribal law enforcement agency or other Federal, State or Tribal designated person shall collect samples from the flower material from such cannabis plants for delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration level testing.
To meet the sampling and testing requirements set forth by USDA in its Interim Final Rule, the Plant Industry Division is working with third-party vendors to expand North Carolina’s available sampling and testing capacity. As vendors are approved by the Plant Industry Division to conduct official sampling and testing, their contact information will be made available to you. Approved vendors will be trained by the Plant Industry Division. Sampling and testing will be conducted in accordance with the Plant Industry Division procedures.
You may elect to but are not required to engage in the services of approved vendors. The Plant Industry Division will continue to offer sampling and testing services at established rates. However, you may obtain faster sampling and testing results from approved vendors and may obtain additional test results not screened for or offered by the Plant Industry Division. The Plant Industry Division anticipates that sampling and testing costs will vary depending on the approved vendor. The Plant Industry Division does not set the cost of sampling and testing charged by approved vendors and costs are negotiated directly by hemp licensees and approved vendors. If you engage in the sampling and testing services of an approved vendor, you will not pay the Plant Industry Division’s sampling and testing fees.
Effective July 7, 2020 the NCDA has approved AgWin Group to conduct official hemp sampling and testing under the Pilot Program.
AgWin Group has indicated, at the time of this letter, that it will be using the Eurofins Laboratory and will be providing results on Delta-9 THC%, THCA%, Total THC%, CBD%, CBDA%, and Total CBD% via email within five (5) business days from the time the samples were taken. Additionally, AgWin Group has indicated, at the time of this letter, that it will bill for the cost of sampling and the testing at a rate of $250 for the first field and $200 for each additional field within three (3) miles of the first field.
Please let Paul Adams, Industrial Hemp Program Manager with the Plant Industry Division, know as soon as possible if you are interested and would like AgWin Group to conduct your sampling and testing. He can be reached at 919-707-3735 or at paul.adams@ncagr.gov.
Your responsibility to notify the Plant Industry Division at the time of initiation of floral buds will not change. There will be a new field this year for you to select whether you wish to use the services of AgWin Group. If you select AgWin Group, your information will be automatically forwarded to AgWin Group for sampling and testing.
Should you have any questions regarding AgWin Group’s services, you may contact AgWin Group directly:
AgWin, Clifton R. Parker, 7205 Canal Drive, Emerald Isle, NC 28594 855.776.8570.
If you have questions regarding sampling and testing requirements under the Pilot Program in general, please contact the Plant Industry Division.