Hemp as a normal agricultural crop just got a big step closer

If passed, the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 opens the door to federally legalized commercial cultivation of hemp.Essentially, the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 will topple major regulatory roadblocks and remove hemp’s status as a Schedule I drug. Introduced in the Senate by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) on April 12, the bill hands hemp regulatory authority to USDA and state-specific programs. Additionally, the bill authorizes crop insurance for hemp, opens access to federal research funding, and removes water and banking restrictions.  “It is far past time for Congress to pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to end the outrageous anti-hemp, anti-farmer and anti-jobs stigma that’s been codified into law and is holding back growth in American agriculture jobs and our economy at large,” says Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Or).“We are calling on Congress to pass this imperative legislation so that American farmers can finally engage in and benefit economically from the booming U.S. hemp industry,” adds Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, a leading grassroots hemp advocacy organization.See Hemp Farming Act of 2018 to read the complete text of the April 12 bill.