Hemp Legalization Bill Approved by Virginia Legislature, Sent to Governor

Hemp Legalization Bill Approved by Virginia Legislature, Sent to Governor

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.”

If signed into law by Governor McAuliffe, or allowed to become law without his signature, the state’s Department of Agriculture would be tasked with establishing specific regulations and distributing licenses to interested farmers, and universities in the state would be authorized to cultivate and study the plant.

The measure was approved unanimously by the House of Delegate, and 34 to 3 in the Senate.

– TheJointBlog