Businesses shipping raw hemp through UPS will face a new documentation requirement beginning December 11, when the company will require laboratory results confirming that shipments meet the federal government’s revised THC standard.
The change, outlined in UPS’s published shipping requirements, specifically affects hemp in its plant form. Starting December 11, those shipments must include a certificate of analysis or laboratory test results establishing that the material contains no more than 0.3% total THC by dry weight, with tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) included in the calculation.
That distinction could affect businesses handling hemp flower and other raw plant material. Under the current federal definition established by the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp generally qualifies based on its delta-9 THC concentration. The revised definition considers total THC, meaning material that satisfies the existing delta-9 threshold could exceed the new limit once THCA is included.
The documentation requirement represents a specific addition to UPS’s existing restrictions rather than an entirely new shipping program. Businesses transporting raw hemp must already receive advance authorization from UPS, establish a dedicated shipping account and enter into an agreement with the company. They must also maintain applicable licenses and authorizations.
Other existing conditions will remain in place. Packages containing raw hemp cannot have exterior markings identifying their contents, and deliveries must use UPS’s Adult Signature Required service.
The distinction between raw hemp and finished hemp products is also important. UPS’s new December 11 laboratory documentation provision specifically addresses hemp in plant form, while its policy for hemp derivatives generally requires compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The company does not identify the same new certificate requirement for every finished hemp-derived product.
UPS also maintains separate restrictions on the types of products and businesses it will serve. Hemp-derived vaping products and synthetic or laboratory-manufactured cannabinoids are prohibited from its shipping network. Businesses operating locations that sell marijuana cannot ship hemp or hemp derivatives from those locations, even when the hemp products themselves meet applicable legal requirements.
The December 11 change coincides with the implementation of most new federal hemp restrictions enacted in November 2025. Congress approved a temporary extension in September, postponing those provisions from their original November 12 effective date. However, restrictions involving cannabinoids that cannot naturally occur in cannabis are still scheduled to take effect November 12.
The broader federal changes will also exclude finished hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of combined total THC and certain similarly acting cannabinoids per container from the legal definition of hemp. That limit is separate from the 0.3% concentration standard governing raw plant material.
For hemp producers and distributors using UPS, the immediate operational change is the need to ensure qualifying raw hemp shipments carry laboratory documentation covering total THC, rather than relying solely on results demonstrating compliance with the older delta-9 THC definition.
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