Hemp Bill Passed and Signed Pt 2

Hemp Bill Passed and Signed Pt 2

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. Farmers in Washington state have been cleared for large-scale production of industrial hemp after the bill was passed in both chambers AND Governor Inslee signed it into law last week, turning the previously forbidden crop into a money-maker for farmers.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Doug Ericksen believes many farmers, and potential farmers, have been waiting for this type of legislation ...

ERICKSEN ... "Yeah, I think so. So, in Washington in particular, I think we have some regions of the state that are very well suited for this hemp, this industrial grade hemp, and I think they'll take advantage of it. So, we'll see. I think it's just really important that we do roll back some of these regulations and let farmers do what's best for them o their land and make sure it gives them another tool in their tool box, so to speak, to be able to manage their crop rotations."

So, how many other states are moving on this type of legislation? ...

ERICKSEN ... "That's a good question on who's moving forward on it right now. I know a lot of the western state are trying to get there. Not all legislatures meet at the same time and the farm bill is new, so we'll see which other states are taking adv, I think most of them will probably move in this direction."

Ericksen says rules need to be laid out before we're up and running ...

ERICKSEN ... "It should not take long at all. I think it will happen very, very quickly. They're ready to go and the rules are very simple. It won't be a heavily regulated activity. It's just a question of, like I say, making sure where the seeds come from, where they're sourced from, and that testing for THC to make sure that there's no funny business going on in the hemp world."

Hemp was once a major U.S. crop, but was banned after Congress declared marijuana a controlled substance. Last year, Congress removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substance Act after Washington and other states legalized marijuana.

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