ORS 571.325 Agricultural hemp seed labeling and certification; rules

For purposes of ORS 633.511 to 633.750, agricultural hemp seed is an agricultural seed or a flower seed, as those terms are defined in ORS 633.511.

The Director of Agriculture, or the director’s agent, and the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences of Oregon State University, or the dean’s agent, shall establish a program for the labeling and certification of agricultural hemp seed. For purposes of the program:

The director and the dean shall perform their respective duties under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to agricultural hemp seed in the same manner that the director and dean perform their respective duties under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to other agricultural seed or flower seed, including but not limited to those duties related to labeling, testing and certifying seeds; and

The director and the dean shall exercise their respective functions and powers under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to agricultural hemp seed in the same manner that the director and dean exercise their respective functions and powers under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to other agricultural seed or flower seed, including but not limited to inspecting and sampling seeds and making rules and regulations under ORS 633.680.

Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) of this section, if the director in consultation with the dean determines that a specific provision of ORS 633.511 to 633.750, or a specific rule or regulation made under ORS 633.511 to 633.750, that applies to other agricultural seed or flower seed is inadequate or not suitable for the regulation of agricultural hemp seed, the director may by rule exempt agricultural hemp seed from the provision, rule or regulation and make rules providing more adequate or suitable regulation of agricultural hemp seed.

The director and the dean shall collaborate with growers licensed under ORS 571.281 in performing their respective duties and exercising their respective functions and powers under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to agricultural hemp seed.

The director and the dean may collaborate with growers licensed under ORS 571.281 and other stakeholders to develop a heritage agricultural hemp seed for this state.

The director and the dean may collaborate with entities authorized to certify seeds under the laws of other states in performing their respective duties and exercising their respective functions and powers under ORS 633.511 to 633.750 with respect to agricultural hemp seed.

A grower licensed under ORS 571.281 is not required, for purposes related to growing industrial hemp, to use an agricultural hemp seed variety certified under the program described in this section.

The State Department of Agriculture may establish by rule waivers to, or exemptions from, tests that would otherwise be conducted to determine a crop’s average tetrahydrocannabinol concentration for crops planted with agricultural hemp seed varieties certified pursuant to the program described in this section.