Cannabis Seeds Considered Legal, May Be Shipped Across U.S., Says DEA

A recent legal clarification by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could mean that the seeds of cannabis strains popular in one part of the country could legally be shipped to another part of the country, because the agency considers all forms of cannabis seeds to be federally legal hemp.

The DEA recently carried out a review of federal statute and implementing regulations in response to an inquiry from attorney Shane Pennington regarding the legality of cannabis seeds, tissue culture and “other genetic material” containing no more than 0.3 percent THC. Pennington discussed the news in an edition of his On Drugs newsletter on Substack on Monday.

Late last week, Marijuana Moment reporter Kyle Jaeger unearthed a letter from DEA officials that clarifies the definition of cannabis seeds, clones, and tissue cultures, which could open up a whole range of possibilities for cannabis growers, and could spread a diversity of strains across legal markets all over the country, opening up the gene pool and leading to new trends and tastes in weed.

That means strains popular in mature markets like Washington, Oregon, and California could make their way to legal markets on the East Coast in Massachusetts and Maine, and soon-to-open markets like New Jersey and New York.

Further recommended reading – legal guidance from Green Light Law Group published on Friday:

A January letter from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) revealed its official stance that marijuana seeds with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration lower than 0.3% on a dry weight basis are considered hemp and are not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act. This declaration is significant because a marijuana product’s legality was previously thought to be determined by whether it was sourced from marijuana or hemp. This new guidance establishes that the legality of marijuana seeds, tissue culture, and other genetic material depends solely on delta-9 THC concentration.

Editor’s Note: Tip of the hat to Marijuana Moment for breaking this news.