The hemp certification program will be set up by the agriculture department and will give Montana growers and producers the ability to leverage the state's distinct identity on the open hemp market.

The program will be similar to "certified organic," but according to Montana Department of Agriculture spokesman Andy Fjeseth, the requirements to become certified won't be as strict as they are for certified organic. He said the primary focus of the program will be to prove the product is genuine hemp and that it was grown in Montana.

The exemption on hemp processing equipment is fairly straightforward. Operations won't have to pay taxes on the extremely expensive equipment used for processing the raw materials of a hemp crop.

Montana already has drawn significant interest from those looking to grow, process or turn hemp into products. Recently, the Department of Agriculture formed one of the nation's first hemp advisory committees.