Marijuana legalization gets a lot of attention these days, but there are significant reforms occurring with hemp as well. My home state (Oregon) just licensed its first hemp grower. Many other states are on their way to doing the same. This week Virginia’s Legislature voted to legalize industrial hemp. The bill will now go to the Governor. Per The Joint Blog:
Legislation to legalize hemp cultivation has been approved by Virginia’s full Legislature, and has been sent to Governor Terry McAuliffe for consideration.
“I am thrilled with the progress this bill has made and the support it gained since its beginnings eight months ago,” says Delegate Joseph Yost, the bill’s primary sponsor. “Hemp is good for agriculture, it is good for the environment and is good for jobs”. Yost explains that the bill “sets up the necessary framework for Virginia to begin immediately moving forward on researching industrial hemp and eventually moving towards full commercialization.”
Obviously, if the Virginia’s Governor signs the bill it becomes law. But even if he doesn’t, the bill will become law even without his signature. albeit a after a little bit of time. I’m very curious to see how Virginia’s hemp industry grows over time. Virginia used to be a a very large producer of hemp. It’s about time that Virginia farmers get to grow the cash crop again if they choose to.
