Overview of the 2018 Farm Bill
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly called the Farm Bill, established hemp as a legal agricultural commodity under federal law for the first time in decades. The legislation removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, where it had previously been grouped with marijuana, and authorized state and tribal governments to develop their own hemp production programs under federal oversight. The bill designated the United States Department of Agriculture as the primary authority over hemp cultivation standards, while other federal agencies retained oversight of specific downstream product categories. It also created the legal pathway that enables hemp-derived cannabinoids, including CBD, CBG, and THCA, to be produced, sold, and shipped within a federally compliant framework.
How Federal Law Defines Hemp
Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is defined as the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including its seeds, derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, provided that the plant contains a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of no more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. This definition is the single most important line in the Farm Bill for anyone buying or selling hemp-derived products. Any cannabis plant or plant-derived product that exceeds that delta-9 THC threshold is classified as marijuana at the federal level, regardless of how it is marketed or labeled. The hemp definition applies to the raw plant material and forms the basis of every compliance determination in the category.
Why Third-Party Testing Is the Standard for Compliance Verification
Third-party laboratory testing is how hemp producers demonstrate, and buyers confirm, that a product meets the Farm Bill's compliance requirements. Independent testing removes any possibility of producer bias in the results and generates documentation that regulators, retailers, and consumers can rely on. For hemp-derived THCA products, third-party testing serves a dual purpose: it confirms that the raw delta-9 THC content is within the federal limit, and it verifies the THCA concentration that drives the product's potency once heated. A hemp product without current third-party testing documentation has no credible way to support any compliance claim it makes.
What a Certificate of Analysis Should Contain
A Certificate of Analysis is the standard compliance document for any hemp-derived product claiming Farm Bill compliance. A properly issued COA from an accredited independent lab should include the following: confirmation that the raw delta-9 THC content is at or below 0.3% on a dry weight basis, a full cannabinoid profile including the THCA percentage, identification of the testing methodology used, and screening results for residual solvents, pesticides, and heavy metals. Costa Brand publishes COAs for every product across its THCA flower collection and full catalog, with results accessible on the site before any purchase is completed. A COA that is missing any of these components is a document that does not tell the complete compliance story.
How to Identify Farm Bill-Compliant Hemp Brands
A reputable Farm Bill-compliant hemp brand shares its compliance position openly before you make any purchase decision. Look for current COAs from accredited third-party labs, a transparent shipping policy that names the states where the brand does not ship, and product listings that confirm hemp-derived status and reference batch-specific lab documentation. A brand that buries this information, or does not publish it at all, is one that makes compliance harder to verify than it should be.
At Costa Brand, we carry Farm Bill-compliant hemp products across flower, concentrates, vapes, and pre-rolls, all independently tested with results published before checkout. When you are ready to explore the full lineup, browse THCA Collections, featured hemp products, or Shop All to find the format that fits your needs with documented compliance behind every product in the catalog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Farm Bill compliance means a hemp-derived product contains 0.3% or less delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis, as established by the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act's federal hemp framework.
Consumers can verify Farm Bill compliance by reviewing a product's Certificate of Analysis from an accredited third-party lab and confirming that delta-9 THC falls at or below the legal 0.3% threshold.
COAs, or Certificates of Analysis, are important because they provide independent, lab-verified proof that a hemp product meets Farm Bill compliance standards for delta-9 THC, THCA, and overall purity.