(A)(1) A licensee in the South Carolina hemp program shall be required to conduct a corrective action plan if the commissioner, or his designee, determines that the licensee negligently violated a provision of this chapter, regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or the state plan including, but not limited to:

(a) failing to provide a legal description and global positioning coordinates of the land on which the licensee cultivates hemp;

(b) failing to obtain a proper license or other required authorization from the commissioner; or

(c) producing Cannabis sativa L. with more than the federally defined THC level for hemp.

(2) A corrective action plan required pursuant to item (1) shall include a:

(a) reasonable date by which the licensee shall correct the violation; and

(b) requirement that the licensee shall periodically report to the commissioner on his compliance with this chapter and the state plan for a period of not less than the next two calendar years, to be determined by the commissioner.

(3) The corrective action plan provided for in item (2) is the sole remedy for negligent violations of this chapter, regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or the state plan. A licensee who negligently violates a provision of this chapter, regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or the state plan shall not be subject to any criminal or civil enforcement action.

(4) A licensee who negligently violates a provision of this chapter, regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter, or the state plan three times in a five-year period shall be ineligible to produce hemp for a period of five years beginning on the date of the third violation.

(B) If the commissioner determines that a licensee has violated state law with a culpable mental state greater than negligence, then the commissioner shall immediately report the hemp producer to the Attorney General and the Chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and subsection (A)(2) shall not apply to the violation.

HISTORY: 2017 Act No. 37 (H.3559), Section 1, eff May 10, 2017; 2019 Act No. 14 (H.3449), Section 1, eff March 28, 2019.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws: Former Section 46-55-40 was titled Unlawful conduct relating to marijuana on property used for industrial hemp production; penalties, and had the following history: 2014 Act No. 216 (S.839), Section 2, eff June 2, 2014. See now, Code 1976 Section 46-55-60.

2019 Act No. 14, Section 3, provides as follows:

"SECTION 3. (A) The forty 2019 licenses issued pursuant to Chapter 55, Title 46 prior to the effective date of this act shall be valid for the term of the licenses, under the terms and conditions under which the licenses were issued, except that, upon the approval of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, each licensee may expand operations beyond the forty-acre limit and may cultivate hemp for commercial purposes.

"(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 46-55-20(B)(3), as amended by this act, as of the date licenses were issued for 2019, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture may issue additional licenses for 2019 to any applicant that met the licensing criteria but was denied solely because the department had already issued the legally permitted number of licenses for the year. Licenses issued pursuant to this subsection shall be for the same term, and under the same terms and conditions, under which the forty licenses identified in subsection (A) were issued. Licensees pursuant to this subsection also may expand operations beyond the forty-acre limit and may cultivate hemp for commercial purposes upon the approval of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

"(C) The law under which licenses are issued shall be in full force and effect for those licenses during the term of the licenses."

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 14, Section 1, rewrote the section, which related to laboratory testing of industrial hemp.