Wisconsin Ag Connection - Senate Ag Committee Set to Vote on Industrial Hemp Bill

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Senate Ag Committee Set to Vote on Industrial Hemp Bill
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/16/2017

An effort to legalize industrial hemp farming in Wisconsin is another step closer to becoming a reality. On Wednesday, the State Senate Ag Committee is scheduled to vote on a measure that would create a state registration process for hemp growth through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

Supporters claim hemp would reinvigorate the state's agriculture sector, while creating new manufacturing and tech opportunities by bringing the plant back as a farm commodity.

Under his proposal, anyone with a prior drug conviction would not be eligible for a license to grow hemp. In addition, the crop would not be allowed to contain more than one percent THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman is backing a similar bill on the federal level. He says industrial hemp played a large role in Wisconsin's agricultural history, and legalizing it now will benefit state farmers financially.

Thirty-one states have legalized industrial hemp, including neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota.

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