Pennsylvania hemp Archives

Pennsylvania Committee Unanimously Passes Resolution Urging Feds to Legalize Hemp

October 3, 2018 by Anthony Martinelli

A resolution urging the federal government to end the nation’s longstanding prohibition on industrial hemp has been passed by a key legislative committee in Pennsylvania.

Senate Resolution 421 was passed unanimously (11 to 0) yesterday by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

According to its official summary, SR 421 is “A Resolution urging the Congress of the United States to pass the language from the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, as contained in the 2018 Farm Bill, removing industrial hemp from the Schedule I Controlled Substance List and legalizing commercial industrial hemp production in the United States”.

Pennsylvania: Permitted Hemp Crops to Grow From 50 to 5,000 Acres in 2018

December 12, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

Pennsylvania officials plan to increase the number of acres permitted for the cultivation of industrial hemp next year from less than 50 acres to over 5,000, reports 90.5 WESA, a National Public Radio station.

This year marked the first time since the 1930s that farmers in Pennsylvania could legally grow hemp, thanks to legislation approved by state lawmakers in 2016. Although less than 50 acres were permitted for hemp cultivation in 2017, State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says the agency plans to increase this 100-fold in 2018, to around 5,000 acres. Redding believes the crop could increase the productivity of existing farmland.

“Research … at Penn State (showed) that you can actually use industrial hemp as a double crop, behind wheat”, said Redding. “I think if that plays out to be real, that is a game changer. You immediately change what options farmers have and you open up new markets.”

Pennsylvania: After 233 to 0 Vote in Legislature, Governor Signs Hemp Bill

July 21, 2016July 21, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

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.

Pennsylvania Legislature Votes 233 to 0 to Legalize Hemp Research

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Pennsylvania’s full legislature has given unanimous approval to House Bill 967 which legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp if done for research purposes. The vote in the House of Representatives was 184 to 0, while the vote in the Senate was 49 to 0. The measure now goes to Governor Tom Wolf for consideration; he’s expected to sign it into law.

Once the legislation takes effect, farmers who receive a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will be authorized to cultivate and produce hemp for the purpose of research. Unfortunately the proposal doesn’t allow for commercial cultivation, something the bill’s proponents say they’ll continue to fight for.

Hemp Was Once Used as Currency in America

July 5, 2016July 5, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

In the United States, the cultivation of hemp is illegal. Hypocritically, this is despite the fact that Americans legally purchase hundreds of millions of dollars worth of hemp products; hemp cereals, lotions and clothing line the shelves of places like Wal-Mart and Costco. The ridiculousness becomes even thicker when you take into account the fact that hundreds of years ago, before modern science and research can tell us the benefits of hemp, our ancestors understood it.

In 1619, one of the first ever hemp laws was established in the then-named Virginia Assembly. The law required many colonists to grow hemp, fining those who didn’t. They did this because they felt it was so drastically important to the welfare of their society.

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Unanimously Pass Hemp Bill

April 7, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

A bill to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp for research purposes has been given unanimous approval by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The measure – House Bill 967 – now heads to the state’s Senate, where it’s expected to be quickly approved (the Senate last month gave unanimous approval to a separate but similar hemp bill).

“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). “While the passage of House Bill 967 is cause for some celebration, we still have a lot of work ahead of us to get the Senate to concur, the governor to sign it into law, and to create a hemp industry from scratch. This is the very first step on what I hope to be very long and prosperous journey for the people of this Commonwealth.”

Pennsylvania Senate Unanimously Passes Hemp Bill

March 18, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

The Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday voted to pass a bill that would establish a statewide cultivation pilot program for industrial hemp. The vote was unanimous, 49 to 0.

Senate Bill 50 would create the Industrial Hemp Licensing Board – which would be a subsection of the state’s Department of Agriculture – to handle licensing those interested in growing the crop. The measure would permit universities in the state to legally cultivate and produce hemp as part of a research program which wll be formulated to meet federal guidelines (according to federal law hemp cultivation is illegal, unless for research purposes).

Pennsylvania Committee Unanimously Approves Hemp Legalization Bill

October 6, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Pennsylvania’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee has given unanimously approval to House Bill 967, a proposal to allow for the production and cultivation of industrial hemp.

The measure, sponsored by Republican State Representative Russ Diamond, would create a pilot program for industrial hemp research which would be conducted by university researchers and the state’s Department of Agriculture.

“There’s an enormous amount of confusion and misinformation around industrial hemp”, says Representative Diamond. “It’s not marijuana and you can’t get high from it… It’s a naturally occurring plant that’s incredibly strong and durable, making it ideal for use in a wide variety of consumer products.”