An Act To Promote Industrial Hemp
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0525
Committee Amendment CA_A_H406 (House)
Amends: 7 MRSA §2231

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 344, L.D. 525, Bill, "An Act To 
Promote Industrial Hemp" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause the following: 
'Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §2231, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 320, §1, is amended 
to read: 
2. Growing permitted. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person may 
plant, grow, harvest, possess, process, sell and buy industrial hemp if that person holds a 
license issued pursuant to subsection 4. A person licensed pursuant to subsection 4 may 
plant, grow and harvest hemp that is grown only from seeds acquired from an approved 
Canadian producer of hemp seeds. A person licensed pursuant to subsection 4 may 
acquire hemp seeds directly from a producer in Canada or from a hemp seed distributor 
licensed in this State distributing hemp seeds pursuant to subsection 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §2231, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. Seed distribution. The commissioner may issue a license for a hemp seed 
distributor if the hemp seeds distributed by the hemp seed distributor are from an 
approved Canadian producer of hemp seeds that ensures that the hemp cultivated by a 
grower has a concentration of no more than 0.3% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol by dry 
weight. The commissioner may issue a license under this subsection to a holder of a seed 
labeling license pursuant to section 1044-A.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §2231, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 320, §l, is repealed. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §2231, sub-§§6 and 7, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 320, §l, are 
amended to read: 
6. Rules. The commissioner shall adopt rules to establish apj:'Jroved varieties of 
industrial hemj:'J, 
j:'Jrotocols for testing plant j:'Jarts during growth for delta 9 
tetrah¥drocanflahiflolle¥el~ an application fee, a license fee and guidelines for monitoring 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
1-.. .,. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 344, L.D. 525 
the growth and harvest of industrial hemp. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
7. Fees. The commissioner shall establish through rulemaking under subsection 6 an 
application fee, and a license fee ffi'\d per <lere fees for monitoring, saTRpling afld testiBg 
that are reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of the department. 
All fees received pursuant to this subsection must be paid to the Treasurer of State and 
credited to a separate, nonlapsing account in the department. Money received pursuant to 
this subsection must be used for the expenses of administering this chapter. 
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §2231, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 320, § 1, is repealed. 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Plant Industry 0831 
Initiative: Provides funding for one part-time Certified Seed Specialist position and 
related costs to conduct testing, inspection and monitoring related to the production of 
industrial hemp. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
POSITIONS - FTE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
Office of the Commissioner 0401 
2013-14 
2014-15 
0.250 
0.250 
$14,111 
$14,111 
$6,842 
$6,842 
$20,953 
$20,953 
Initiative: Provides funding for one part-time Certified Seed Specialist pOSItIOn and 
related costs to conduct testing, inspection and monitoring related to the production of 
industrial hemp. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND 
FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
2013-14 
$2,500 
$2,500 
2013-14 
$23,453 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2014-15 
$0 
$0 
2014-15 
$20,953 
t-.. .,. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,It" to H.P. 344, L.D. 525 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
$23,453 
$20,953 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report. It requires that any hemp seeds acquired for 
cultivation of hemp in the State come from an approved Canadian producer of hemp 
seeds. 
The amendment allows the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry to issue licenses for hemp seed distribution to holders of seed labeling licenses. 
The amendment also allows hemp growers licensed by the State to acquire hemp seeds 
directly from a producer in Canada or from a state-licensed hemp seed distributor. The 
amendment requires that application fees and license fees are established by major 
substantive rules. The amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section to the 
bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 06/02/13 :;Ivac 
LD525 
LR 1183(02) 
An Act To Promote Industrial Hemp 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee AmendmentVf\'1 C H -£..\ap) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Appropriationsl Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Transfers 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
$23,453 
$20,953 
$23,453 
$20,953 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2015-16 
$20,953 
$20,953 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
..... ""'. 
$20,953 
$20,953 
$0 
This legislation repeals the provision of law that licensure of industrial hemp is contingent upon action by the Federal 
Government. The bill includes an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $23,453 in fiscal year 2013-14 and 
$20,953 in fiscal year 2014-15 to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for one one-quarter time 
Certified Seed Specialist position and related costs to conduct testing, inspection and monitoring. Fees will be 
assessed by the department to cover these costs, increasing Other Special Revenue Funds revenue by the amounts 
allocated. 
Additionally, since the growing of industrial hemp is illegal under Federal law, it is possible that the State could incur 
legal fees if the law were challenged. If that were to happen, the department would require a General Fund 
appropriation to cover the costs of the Attorney General to defend this legislation. 
LRl183(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1