Hemp Bill Passed By Arkansas House Committee
A bill to allow hemp to be cultivated in Arkansas has been passed by its initial committee.
House Bill 1778 was passed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development with a unanimous voice vote.
According to its official text, the proposed law “is intended to assist the state in moving to the forefront of industrial hemp production, development, and commercialization of hemp products in agribusiness, alternative fuel production, and other business sectors, both nationally and globally, and to the greatest extent possible.”
The bill states that; “The board [State Plant Board] shall undertake research concerning industrial hemp production through the establishment and oversight of a ten-year industrial hemp research program.”
The measure must now be passed by one more committee before it can be put to a vote by the full House of Representatives. Passage in the House would send it to the Senate, where passage would place it on the desk of Governor Asa Hutchinson.
For the full text of House Bill 1778, click here.