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By: Mario Conde, Reporter
In order to assist the local hemp industry, a voluntary program was created which requires that the grower provide pertinent information to the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and requires an inspection of the harvested commodity to be conducted by the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
The policy was approved by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors at the Sept. 17 meeting.
The information and inspection data collected will accompany each shipment of Industrial hemp being transported out of the county.
The Imperial County Industrial Hemp Transportation Policy will provide pertinent shipment information for each load of industrial hemp crossing a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint leaving Imperial County.
The policy states that products derived from industrial hemp may request a voluntary inspection and certification from the sheriff’s office, done in coordination with the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, that the products to be shipped are in compliance with federal, state, and local laws pertaining to industrial hemp.
In order to qualify for the voluntary program, interested businesses must submit an application Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. The application shall include all required information as specified in the California Food and Agriculture code to the agricultural offices. Additionally, the Agricultural office may request businesses to submit additional information such as harvest data, harvest report, field verification, and destination of products.
Also, inspections conducted by the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office and Agricultural Commissioners Office may be done in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to U.S. Border Patrol.
If a proposed shipment of industrial hemp or industrial hemp products is found to be in violation of any federal, state, or local law, then the sheriff’s department may take appropriate legal action.
