License Application And Fees

(1) A hemp producer license is required per person per location for any person who possesses rooted hemp or who cultivates cannabis for introduction into commerce. The hemp producer license authorizes the producer to sell harvested hemp as an unprocessed commodity to wholesalers and distributors. If a hemp producer alters harvested hemp beyond its form as a farm commodity (e.g., by trimming, filtering, or packaging the crop for its component parts) or offers harvested hemp for retail sale, the producer must also have an HDC supplier license and HDC retail license, as appropriate, under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-02 and 0080- 10-03. (2) Applicants for a hemp producer license must submit required information on forms provided by the department, which may include: (a) Name of the applicant; (b) Date of birth of any applicant who is an individual or a partner in a general partnership; (c) Proof of registration in its state of incorporation for any applicant that is a formalized business entity; (d) Contact information for applicant, to include name of person legally responsible for applicant’s operations, telephone number, email address, and address of principal place of business; (e) Address of location to be licensed; (f) Acreage and perimeter description for each growing area at the location to be licensed; (g) Global Positioning System coordinates for the central most point of each growing area at the location to be licensed; (h) A nationwide criminal background check, facilitated through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, for the person identified as legally responsible for applicant’s operations; and, HEMP PRODUCERS CHAPTER 0080-10-01 (i) Other information as required by the department. (3) Licensees must notify the department of any changes to the contents of their application on file within 30 days after the change takes place, including but not limited to any change of contact information, growing areas, or planting of new hemp crops. (4) Applicants must include with their application payment of an annual hemp producer license fee, calculated as follows: (a) Cumulative growing areas less than five acres: $250; (b) Cumulative growing areas of five to 20 acres: $300; (c) Cumulative growing areas of more than 20 acres: $350; and, (d) License fees are waived for any accredited college or university that offers programs of study in agricultural sciences and that is seeking licensure for growing areas on its college or university property. (5) Hemp producer licenses expire on June 30 of the licensing cycle for which they are issued. Applicants for renewal must submit to the department on or before the following July 1 the hemp producer license fee, application for licensure, and an updated criminal background check for the person identified as legally responsible for applicant’s operations. If an applicant for renewal fails to pay the annual license fee by July 16 following expiration, the applicant must also pay a late charge under T.C.A. § 43-1-703 prior to renewal of the applicant’s license. (6) The department may deny any application for licensure that is not completed in full or that is not completed in conformance with this rule.