The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved New Jersey's plan for the production and testing of hemp and hemp products, Douglas H. Fisher, the state's agriculture secretary announced Tuesday. New Jersey adopted legislation this summer to allow hemp production.
The approval means New Jersey will be responsible for regulating hemp production within the state. Its Division of Plant Industry will inspect hemp operations, and will test hemp varieties to ensure THC levels are below federal limits.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive component in marijuana. Both plants are strains of cannabis. According to the Hemp Industries Association, the plants are indistinguishable from one another without testing for THC levels.