(Cannabis sativa)

GENERAL STANDARDS -- The standards on this sheet are in part condensed and apply to Hemp. For greater detail and additional provisions, see the General Standards. All production of hemp is subject to registration, license application and approval by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the County Agricultural Commissioner in whose county the crop is grown. Only varieties of hemp approved by the California Crop Improvement Association are eligible for certification. The size of a hemp research area or production field may be determined by the regulatory authorities in California.

PLANTING STOCK & DESIGNATION OF CLASSES OF SEED-- Only the certified class is recognized in the production of feminized hemp seed. The foundation class is allowed for the purpose of variety maintenance. A feminized seed variety to be certified must be produced from seed or clonal stocks approved by an official certifying agency. These seed and clonal stocks shall consist of female lines and chemically assisted pollen shedding female lines of any class of certified seed or clones.

DEFINITIONS-- Hemp - defined by the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program as the plant species Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis or as otherwise defined by federal law.
Common terms:

1.  Dioecious type - with male and female flowers on separate plants.
2. Monoecious type - with male and female flowers on the same plant.
3. Reversed female - female plants that are induced to produce pollen in replacement of true male plants
4. Hermaphroditic plants - plants exhibiting male and female flowers, not true females
5. Feminized hemp seed (FHS) - the progeny of a dioecious female plant that has been pollinated with pollen derived from the same or another dioecious female plant that has been induced to produce pollen. It is a true female plant with xx chromosomes
6. Pollen parent - a reversed female plant from the female line or another reversed female line to create a hybrid
7. Seed parent - female plants used to produce feminized hemp seed
8. Sporting male - is a female plant that produces sterile male flowers.
9. Variety - a subdivision of a kind that is distinct, uniform, and stable; "distinct" in the sense that the variety can be differentiated by one or more identifiable morphological, physiological, or other characteristics from all other varieties of public knowledge; "uniform" in the sense that variations in essential and distinctive characteristics are describable; and "stable" in the sense that the variety will remain unchanged in its essential and distinctive characteristics and its uniformity when reproduced or reconstituted as required by the different categories of varieties.
10. Volunteer plant - a hemp plant that was not intentionally planted and is the result from a previous crop.
11. Approved cultivar - any variety designated as eligible for production by federal or local regulatory authorities.
12. Thc - delta-nine (Δ9) tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the component of hemp regulated by federal or local regulatory authorities.

APPLICATION -- Applications should be submitted electronically on CCIA’s website (Application to grow and certify seed) as soon as possible and no later than four (4) weeks after planting. New applicants should contact the CCIA office for instructions on obtaining access to the online application system. Applicants must attach to the application the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) test results of the crop that produced the planting stock or propagules.

Growth Facility and Land Requirements 

1. Growth facility must only contain certified hemp production. Multiple FHS varieties may be present but no other hemp plants are allowed except for pollen parent plants that are the pollen source.
2. Growth facility must be free of all plants for a minimum of six weeks prior to receiving plants at the beginning of the crop year or production season unless the previous crop was the same variety.
3. If sanitation is used to reduce the hemp free period, a sanitation plan must be submitted to the certifying agency. Pollen sanitation is not required if the entire greenhouse facility produces only one pollen source and other female lines are continually rogued to prevent contaminating pollen sources.
4. Certified feminized hemp seed crops must not be grown on land which:
   a. In either of the preceding two years produced a non-certified crop of hemp or a different variety of hemp.
   b. In the preceding year produced a certified crop of a different variety.

Growth Facility and Field Standards

CROP INSPECTION -- 

a. It is the grower’s responsibility to ensure that growth facility and field inspections are conducted by the authorized inspector at least twice prior to swathing or harvesting.
b. A growth facility or field that is cut, swathed or harvested prior to crop inspection is not eligible for certification.
c. Inspections of pollen parent plants and seed parent plants must be at a stage of growth when varietal purity is best determined. Crops not inspected at the proper stage for best determining varietal purity may be cause for rejection. A minimum of two inspections are required.
i. First inspection for pollen parent and seed parent plants must be made just before or at early flowering. The pollen parent must be inspected prior to pollen collection or dispersal.
ii. Second inspection for pollen parent and seed parent types must be completed after pollen shed and seed fill.
iii. Isolation areas will be inspected for any volunteer hemp plants on each inspection.

Weeds --  The presence of Broomrape (Orobanche spp.) in hemp crops is cause for rejection of certified status. Fields must be free of any prohibited noxious weeds. Restricted noxious weeds and common weeds difficult to separate must be controlled. Prohibited and Restricted noxious weeds are listed in the California Seed Law/CA Code of Regulations/Sections 3854 and 3855. See California Seed Law - Prohibited and Restricted Noxious Weed List. Fields may be rejected due to unsatisfactory appearance caused by weeds, poor growth, poor stand, disease, insect damage, and any other condition that prevents accurate inspection or creates doubt as to identity of the variety.

SPECIFIC-- For the production of FHS varieties via pollen shedding by the chemically reversed female plants.
a. Detailed records shall be created and maintained on the pollen parent, such as the chemical application dates, concentration, and the pollen collection date.
b. Pollen storage containers (if used) must be marked with lot number and source.
c. Chemically reversed female plants (pollen parent) must be removed and destroyed after pollen collection is complete.
d. Male, sporting male, and hermaphroditic plants must be removed from the growth facility or field and a record of roguing activities must be maintained.

IMPURITY STANDARDS-- Impurities should be removed prior to crop inspection. Any combination of impurities may be reason for declining certified status. The table below indicates the maximum number of impurities permitted by AOSCA in approximately 10,000 plants of the inspected crop. The inspector makes at least 6 counts (10,999 plants each) or the equivalent to determine the number of impurities. The resulting average of these counts must not exceed the maximum impurity standards in the table below:

Maximum Impurity Standards per 10,000 plants in Hemp Seed Crops

ISOLATION-- a. Certified feminized hemp seed fields must be isolated from all other contaminating pollen sources by the distances provided in isolation table. Roguing to eliminate all possible contaminating pollen must be accomplished prior to visible flower formation.
b. Greenhouse production of Certified feminized seed is allowed if mechanical isolation of pollen sources is provided. Additional greenhouse requirements include:
i. Method of pollen exclusion must be documented and submitted to the certifying agency.
ii. Each greenhouse facility is limited to one variety or multiple varieties when one pollen parent is utilized for all varieties
iii. Each variety must be clearly labeled and easily identifiable from one another.

c. Off season greenhouse production when outside pollen sources are not alive may reduce the isolation requirement.

Maximum Isolation Distances Required Between Inspected Hemp and Other Crops

FIELDS INSPECTION REPORT -- A field inspection report will be available online for the applicant. If the field is approved, a certification number will be assigned. This number must be on all containers of seed before they leave the field. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure their field has been inspected before it is harvested.

HARVESTING -- Harvesting is subject to the supervision of the County Agricultural Commissioner who must be contacted prior to harvest. Any seed moved out of the county for conditioning must be accompanied by an Inter-County or Inter-State Seed Transfer Certificate issued by the Commissioner.

CONDITIONING AND SAMPLING -- Conditioning of seed for certification may be done only in facilities approved for this purpose by the CCIA. It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine if the plant is eligible before delivering seed for conditioning. Conditioning, sampling, reconditioning, and
blending will be conducted under the supervision of the County Agricultural Commissioner. Conditioning equipment must be free from contaminating seed to the satisfaction of the supervising inspector.

SEED INSPECTION -- All seed must be sampled and tested after conditioning and the seed lot must meet or exceed seed certification standards for that crop. A seed lab using the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) “Rules for Testing Seeds” must test the sample. A Registered Seed Technologist must sign each lab analysis. In addition to AOSA rules, specific seed testing may be required to meet CCIA seed certification standards. Applicants must also submit THC test results of the seed crop to CCIA before the Seed Inspection Report is issued.

The conditioner is required to submit a 500 gram sample to the laboratory for analysis. (Submitted Sample Sizes for Certification). In some instances, varietal identity cannot be determined by visual seed inspections. Seed must be well screened and graded, bright in color, of good appearance and meet the following standards:

Standards for Each Class

*Inert matter shall not include more than 0.5 per cent of material other than seed fragments of the variety under consideration.

**Other kinds shall not exceed 2 per lb. (454 grams) for Foundation; 10 for Certified.

***Determined by Variety Verification Trial or approved molecular testing

The CCIA requires Reports of Analysis for initial certification to be dated no more than a maximum of six (6) months prior to the request for seed certification. The ‘Purity Analysis’ and ‘Germination’ must be conducted on the same laboratory seed sample and those results must be presented in a single Report of Analysis.

FINAL CERTIFICATION AND TAGGING -- If the seed sample meets all standards a seed inspection report is issued. Before certification is complete, however, each container must have an official tag or label attached. Certified seed may be sold to a grower in bulk without tagging if a properly filled out Bulk Sale Certificate accompanies the shipment. The tags and Bulk Sale Certificates are issued by the California Crop Improvement Association.

Updated October 2025