Pennsylvania: After 233 to 0 Vote in Legislature, Governor Signs Hemp Bill
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has signed into law a bill that legalizes the cultivation and production of industrial hemp for research purposes. House Bill 967 was given unanimous approval by both the House of Representatives (184 to 0) and Senate (49 to 0).
The new law allows those who receive a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to legally cultivate and produce hemp for the purpose of researching it; state universities would also be allowed to grow, produced and study the crop.
Although the measure only allows hemp to be grown for research purposes, proponents plan to continue fighting for full legalization.
“We put a lot of effort into educating other legislators about the usefulness of this crop and its positive economic and environmental promises for Pennsylvania,”says Representative Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). “This is the very first step on what I hope to be very long and prosperous journey for the people of this Commonwealth.”
