North Dakota Senate Passes Bill to Explicitly Legalize Hemp, Heads to Governor

North Dakota Senate Passes Bill to Explicitly Legalize Hemp, Heads to Governor

North Dakota’s full Senate has voted 46 to 1 to legalize hemp through the passage of House Bill 1436. The proposal has already been approved with an 87 to 5 vote by the state’s House of Representatives, meaning it’s been sent to Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s for consideration.

Governor Dalrymple has the option of passing the measure into law, allowing it to become law without his signature or vetoing it, though the Legislature passed the bill with more than enough support to override a veto.

House Bill 1436 would legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp (defined as having 0.3% THC or less) and would establish a regulatory and licensing system for the crop. The bill clarifies that the state does not need federal approval, or a change in federal law, to begin implementation.

Although hemp cultivation as part of a state-sanctioned research program is legal under federal law, hemp cultivation for commercial purposes is illegal for any purpose.

– TheJointBlog