GPS Coordinates for Hemp Growers? A Look at the 2018 Hemp Bill Surveillance Requirements

The 2018 Farm Bill contains a stipulation under which applicants seeking to produce and process hemp must provide their GPS coordinates of their farms.

One consideration on the provision of GPS coordinates is the safety and security of crops. In Michigan, at least, the locations of hemp farms and identities of the farms are being kept private by state officials, reports M Live. The report also indicates that other states are not taking the same protective measures. For instance, in Colorado, hemp program participants and their addresses are published online, while in Oklahoma, the Open Records Act allows for public disclosure of the information provided by hemp licenses holders or their subcontractors.

Further, Jeff Gallagher, MHR Brand’s managing member, appears to take the position that such information should not be private. He shared with Hemp Industry Daily,

“I don’t see any benefit to keeping the farmers’ identities private. How can we verify if they are who they say they are, or they only sell to people who are licensed to process the hemp in the state, which is public information?”