Virginia Takes a Bold Action Towards Hemp Legaliza
Post# of 75002
Posted On: 02/01/2016 1:49:45 PM
Virginia Takes a Bold Action Towards Hemp Legalization
7:44 AM ET 1/28/16 | Marketwired
On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill to authorize the farming and production of industrial hemp in the state for commercial purposes with a 98-0 vote. Once passed into state law, Virginia would be able to ignore federal prohibition and authorize commercial farming and production, thereby setting the foundation to nullify in practice the now unconstitutional federal prohibition on the economically viable and sustainable plant, hemp.
House Bill 699 (HB699) introduced by Del. Brenda Pogge (R-Norge), would "amend current state law on hemp by removing a provision that authorized the licensing of hemp farming only upon approval of the federal government." Virginia's Department of Planning and Budget 2016 Fiscal Impact Statement states, "This substitute bill clarifies that it is lawful for a person with a license to manufacture industrial hemp products or engage in scientific, agricultural, or other research involving the applications of industrial hemp and that no person shall be prosecuted for the possession, cultivation, or manufacture of industrial hemp plant material or products. The current law authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations necessary to license persons to grow industrial hemp or administer a research program. This bill requires the Board to adopt regulations as necessary to license persons to grow and process industrial hemp for any purpose and requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish a licensure program, with a maximum license fee of $250."
If HB699 is passed into law, Virginia would have followed the lead of states such as Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Connecticut, Maine, North Dakota and Vermont and would have broadened the scope of hemp in the state to include the commercial "manufacture of industrial hemp products" and eliminated the requirement for Federal approval to "allow individuals and businesses, rather than research institutions, to be licensed to grow and produce industrial hemp in the state."
7:44 AM ET 1/28/16 | Marketwired
On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill to authorize the farming and production of industrial hemp in the state for commercial purposes with a 98-0 vote. Once passed into state law, Virginia would be able to ignore federal prohibition and authorize commercial farming and production, thereby setting the foundation to nullify in practice the now unconstitutional federal prohibition on the economically viable and sustainable plant, hemp.
House Bill 699 (HB699) introduced by Del. Brenda Pogge (R-Norge), would "amend current state law on hemp by removing a provision that authorized the licensing of hemp farming only upon approval of the federal government." Virginia's Department of Planning and Budget 2016 Fiscal Impact Statement states, "This substitute bill clarifies that it is lawful for a person with a license to manufacture industrial hemp products or engage in scientific, agricultural, or other research involving the applications of industrial hemp and that no person shall be prosecuted for the possession, cultivation, or manufacture of industrial hemp plant material or products. The current law authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations necessary to license persons to grow industrial hemp or administer a research program. This bill requires the Board to adopt regulations as necessary to license persons to grow and process industrial hemp for any purpose and requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish a licensure program, with a maximum license fee of $250."
If HB699 is passed into law, Virginia would have followed the lead of states such as Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Connecticut, Maine, North Dakota and Vermont and would have broadened the scope of hemp in the state to include the commercial "manufacture of industrial hemp products" and eliminated the requirement for Federal approval to "allow individuals and businesses, rather than research institutions, to be licensed to grow and produce industrial hemp in the state."
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