1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, hemp and products derived from such hemp are agricultural products which may be grown, cultivated, produced, processed, manufactured, possessed in the state, and sold, distributed, or transported in the state, pursuant to authorization under federal law, the provisions of this article, article thirty-three-B of the public health law or any other state law.

Terms Used In N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 506

  • Hemp: means the plant Cannabis sativa L. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 505
  • Institution of higher education: means :
    (a) any of the colleges and universities described in subdivision three of section three hundred fifty-two of the education law;
    (b) a college established and operated pursuant to the provisions of article one hundred twenty-six of the education law, and providing two-year or four-year post-secondary programs in general and technical educational subjects and receiving financial assistance from the state;
    (c) the city university of New York, as defined in subdivision two of section sixty-two hundred two of the education law; and
    (d) a not-for-profit two or four-year university or college given the power to confer associate, baccalaureate or higher degrees in this state by the legislature or by the regents under article five of the education law. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 505
  • License: means a license, permit or registration issued pursuant to this article. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 505
  • Processing of hemp in connection with its growing and cultivation: means the growing, cultivation, cloning, harvesting, drying, curing, grinding and trimming of hemp plants. See N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law 505
2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary restricting the growing or cultivating, processing, manufacturing, sale, distribution or transportation of hemp and products derived from such hemp, and subject to authorization of the growth and cultivation of hemp under federal law, the commissioner may:

(a) authorize the growing, cultivating, processing and manufacturing of hemp as part of agricultural pilot programs conducted by the department or an institution of higher education to study the growth and cultivation, sale, distribution, transportation, processing and manufacturing of such hemp and products derived from such hemp provided that the sites and programs used for growing or cultivating hemp are authorized by, and registered with, the department; and
(b) license the growth and cultivation of hemp, including the processing of hemp in connection with its growing and cultivation, and the sale of hemp plants or hemp seed.