Beginning January 1, 2022, hemp growers will be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and hemp processors will no longer require a license. Learn more about this transition.
Buying or Receiving Seed or Transplants
Variety Approval
Whether you are growing for CBD/CBG, grain, or fiber, you must plant seed lots certified by the Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association (WCIA) or varieties approved by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). You must notify DATCP of each variety or certified seed lot that you intend to plant on the Variety Approval form, and provide supporting documentation. Each variety that does not have a seed lot certified by WCIA must be approved in writing by DATCP before planting. Licensed growers with a current annual registration must submit a variety approval form for each variety or certified seed lot you intend to plant, at least 30 days before planting. Instructions for submitting this are on the reporting and recordkeeping webpage.
Varieties Approved by DATCP
The following varieties are approved by DATCP:
Licensed growers with a current annual registration must complete and submit the Variety Approval form prior to planting even if their varieties are already approved. They must submit the documentation specified on that form before varieties or lots of certified seed can be considered for approval.
Regardless of documentation provided or variety approval given, all hemp grown under the DATCP Hemp Program testing over 0.3 percent total delta-9 THC in DATCP's pre-harvest regulatory test must be destroyed if that lot is not eligible for a re-sample.
2018-2020 Total delta-9 THC Results from Regulatory Hemp Samples
The table of 2018-2020 total delta-9 THC regulatory results lists the anonymized results of regulatory hemp samples that DATCP tested from 2018 to 2020.
For any given variety name, past performance does not predict future performance of that variety in the DATCP regulatory test. Each lot will be tested to verify total delta-9 THC content prior to harvest.
The information in this table does not imply endorsement and is provided strictly as a resource for growers to consider in their evaluation of potential hemp varieties.
Hemp lots are sampled and then tested for total delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (total delta-9 THC). One hemp lot is one variety planted in one contiguous growing location. A lot must have a total delta-9 THC content of 0.3% or below in order to be issued a fit for commence certificate.
Growers may not receive their regulatory sample results prior to harvest and are responsible for monitoring total delta-9 THC content of their crops.
The variety names listed on this table are based on grower self-reporting. Inconsistent variety naming conventions used by growers may impact the accuracy of the variety information included in this table.
Regulatory samples that share the same variety name, as identified by the grower, may not actually represent the same variety.
This table includes only variety names reported as being planted in more than 5 lots.
This information in this table does not control for the plant development stage at the time of regulatory sampling.
This table is not the DATCP approved varieties list. A variety named on this table might not meet current variety approval standards. See the see the reporting and recordkeeping webpage for and the variety approval requirements for licensed hemp growers and instructions on submitting your variety approval form.
Seed and Transplant Sources
You should carefully research your supplier before buying hemp seed or transplants. Remember that all hemp grown in Wisconsin testing over 0.3 percent total delta-9 THC on DATCP's pre-harvest regulatory test must be destroyed if that lot is not eligible for a re-sample. There are many reputable distributors of hemp seeds and clones, and many varieties that produce at or below the 0.3 percent level. Seedling or clones sold or transferred in Wisconsin must originate from hemp lawfully produced under a hemp research pilot program, a USDA hemp producer license, or a state or tribal plan approved by USDA.
Wisconsin requires anyone selling seed in Wisconsin to be a licensed seed labeler, and anyone selling hemp clones to be a licensed hemp grower. While there is no penalty for buying seed from unlicensed sources, buying from a Wisconsin-licensed seed source does offer another layer of protection. However, buying from a Wisconsin-licensed seed source does not guarantee each hemp lot will pass DATCP's pre-harvest regulatory test. View a list of Wisconsin-licensed seed sources that sell hemp seed. If you need to acquire a Wisconsin seed-labeler license, contact the seed labeler program at (608) 224-4596 or email greg.helmbrecht@wi.gov.
Importing seeds or transplants from other states: Hemp seed and clones are available for sale from seed suppliers in other states. It is fully legal to move lawfully grown seeds and clones across state lines. You may also find seed sources on other states' hemp websites.
Importing seeds or transplants from other nations: The federal USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates the importation of all plants and seeds for planting to ensure safe agricultural trade. For questions or requests for information regarding importing hemp plants or seeds into the U.S. contact:
USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine’s Permit Services
Email: plantproducts.permits@usda.gov
Phone: toll-free (877) 770-5990
Growing and Selling Hemp for Seed
Seed Certification
Growers who want to cultivate foundation, registered or certified hemp seed for certified seed production in Wisconsin must:
Seed Saving
Certified seed harvested from a pilot project cannot be sold for propagation, except under the Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association’s seed certification program. Otherwise, the harvested grain can be used only for processing or the grower's own hemp production. Although we don't recommend planting non-certified seed, seed harvested from non-certified varieties may be saved, distributed and sold. Seed labeling and licensing rules apply (see below).
Selling Seed
Midwestern Hemp Database: University of Illinois Extension: Grower supplied hemp variety, cannabinoid levels, and harvest date information from around the Midwest
What Variety of Hemp Should I Grow?
Importing Hemp Seeds
Seed Certification Information
What is certified seed?
Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association
Certified seed standards
Federal seed act definitions
Seed Sources
Wisconsin Licensed Seed Labelers Selling Hemp Seed
Websites for other states
American Seed Trade Association Information
How to Read a Label on a Bag of Hemp Seed
Laws, Regs and Other Considerations In Buying Seed
Best Management Practices for Hemp Seed Production