Hemp bill passes

Boise-The Idaho Senate votes 30-5 in favor of the industrial hemp legalization bill. HB 126 had already passed the House. Idaho is the last state in the Union to pass Hemp legislation. Braden Jensen of Idaho Farm Bureau Governmental affairs:

"And it's on the way to Governor's desk for consideration, so we're excited to see this bill has passed the consideration of the legislature and is finally advancing for our growers," said Jensen. Idaho growers have waited decades for a cash swing crop, that's easy to grow in Idaho. And despite getting into the Hemp game late, Jensen says there are advantages.

"If there's an advantage with being the last state to legalize hemp is that we have a lot of neighboring states that have gone through some of this, so we can learn from their mistakes and their successes as well. This bill will if passed, would allow our State Department of Agriculture to go through the drafting process of a State Hemp plan submit it to the USDA, go through the rulemaking process and get all the framework in place so we can look forward to a growing season as early as 2022," said Jensen.

First and foremost the Hemp Bill needs the governor's signature and Jensen says there’s still a lot to do, the state needs to get the regulations in place before a crop is in the ground. "It is good news, especially for growers that have been looking for a good rotational crop for a long time, it's finally closer to becoming a reality that they can consider for future operations," concluded Jensen.