Please contact your State Representatives about HB #5094 and #5095 as well as contact your Senators about SB #608 and #609.
These Bills would allow the Michigan Hemp Growing Program to be sent back to USDA for administration.
November 14th is the end of the 2025 Legislative sessions in Michigan. MDARD, CRA and the growers and processors of Industrial Hemp in Michigan want the program to be administered by USDA. No one is in opposition to this. We need both House and Senate leadership to get this Bill introduced and voted on by November 14th.
This would save growers from paying the $1,250 yearly license fee and encourage farmers to grow Industrial Hemp in Michigan.
Attached are copies of the Bills and a letter that you can use as talking points. You can send the letter by mail, or by email which is the best and quickest method, or call the offices. If you do not know who or how to contact your Representatives or Senators, here are the links to quickly find that information.
Expample Letter:
I am contacting you today to ask for your support of House Bills #5094 and #5095. These Bills would send the administration of the Michigan Industrial Hemp Growing Program back to USDA.
I would like to thank the legislators, MDARD and Gina Alessandri for implementing the USDA Industrial Hemp Program in Michigan in 2018 by passing the “Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act” and the “Industrial Hemp Growers Act.”
Since 2018, the growers of Industrial Hemp in Michigan have declined and the state cannot afford to operate a program on the limited dollars it is receiving from program participation. Increasing the per year fee of $1,250 is not practical to allow for state oversight. The fee from USDA to register is $100 for three years.
MDARD, CRA and the growers and processors of Industrial Hemp in Michigan want the program to be administered by USDA; no one is in opposition to this.
Industrial Hemp will be an important commodity in Michigan as the use for the products made from the crop continues to expand. The current fees and regulations that Industrial Hemp Growers face in Michigan are hampering the growth of Industrial Hemp in Michigan.
Time is quicky running out to enact this legislation. The 2025 legislation session ends November 14th, and this legislation must be approved by then. Farmers are making decisions now about what commodities to grow for 2026. If the fees for growing the crop can be reduced, this would allow farmers another tool to help support their business, and families.
Thank you for your service and consideration of your approval of this Bill.
Sincerely,
