The Massachusetts agency in control of regulating pesticides is finally giving marijuana growers and hemp farmers some insight into the future of pesticide use on cannabis. John Lebeaux, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, otherwise known as MDAR, released a memo announcing changes to the state’s policy regarding pesticide use for both hemp and marijuana. The new policy allows cultivators to use certain pesticides as long as they meet seven specific requirements. MDAR even created a flowchart to help growers understand if a pesticide is allowed for use on cannabis. The pesticide must be registered with the EPA and with the state of Massachusetts. Other conditions must also be met to protect consumer and worker safety.
MDAR regulates all pesticide use in the state of Massachusetts by law. According to the memo, the shift in policy is possible because Congress removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act in the 2018 farm bill, leading the EPA to approve several pesticides for hemp use. Due to the fact that both hemp and marijuana are cannabis MDAR has decided to apply these guidelines to all cannabis cultivation.
Find the full memo from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources on their website here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/cannabis-and-pesticide-policy/download
