In December 2019, EPA announced approval of nine biopesticides and one conventional pesticide for use on hemp. 

This was the first time the federal agency approved products for use on hemp since the December 2018 Farm Bill provisions that removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, legalizing hemp for commercial use and production.

Click here for the full list of the 10 products, which uses include as an insecticide, bactericide, miticide, fungicide, and nematicide.

Included in the first wave of approved products were two from Marrone Bio Innovations. Biofungicide products Stargus and Regalia have EPA approval for indoor and outdoor use on hemp plants. 

“With more than $1.1 billion in revenues in 2018, the hemp market is projected to more than double by 2022,” Dr. Pamela Marrone, CEO and Founder of Marrone Bio Innovations said in a news release. “This is an exciting opportunity for Marrone Bio to extend our business into a rapidly growing market, which will only continue to grow as the acres continue to expand. With Stargus and Regalia now approved at the federal level for hemp, we are well positioned to grow alongside this burgeoning market.”

The EPA says it will continue to review applications for product use on hemp as they are received and will update the list of approved products accordingly. 

In a previous announcement regarding the pesticide applications for hemp production, Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention said, “Given the strong economic forecasts for hemp production in the United States, it comes as no surprise that we are beginning to see pesticide registrants intensify their interests in gaining crop protection approvals for use on hemp. EPA is committed to helping hemp growers obtain the tools needed to support and increase commercial production. This step recognizes that innovation in pesticide use is critical to the success of our strong and vibrant agricultural sector.”