Washington House Committee Unanimously Approves Bill to Legalize Hemp Cultivation

Washington House Committee Unanimously Approves Bill to Legalize Hemp Cultivation

Washington’s House Committee on Commerce and Gaming has unanimously approved a bill to legalize the production and cultivation of industrial hemp.

Specifically, the bill “Allows industrial hemp to be grown, produced, possessed, and commercially traded in the state”. Farmers wanting to cultivate the plant would be required to maintain 0.3% THC or less in all of their crops.

Senate Bill 5012 has already been approved by the state’s full Senate with a unanimous 49 to 0 vote, though it was amended in committee to establish a regulatory framework where licenses to cultivate hemp are distributed by the state’s Department of Agriculture.

It will now heads towards a vote in the full House, where its passage will send it to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration. Inslee would then have the option of signing the bill into law, allowing it to become law without his signature, or vetoing it, though there’s likely enough support in the Legislature to override a potential veto.

The full text of Senate Bill 5012 can be found by clicking here.

– TheJointBlog