Rhode Island: Gov Gina Raimondo Signs In Industrial Hemp Bill

21 July 2016

Marijuana Times reports….

More and more states are deciding to ignore federal law when it comes to industrial hemp – allowing it to be grown for commercial purposes. Now Rhode Island will join Maine, Oregon, Vermont, and Colorado on the list of states allowing the growth of industrial hemp. The governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, signed the bill this week though it will not officially go into effect until January of 2017. The bill even states that: “States are not required to enforce federal law or prosecute people for engaging in activities prohibited by federal law. Therefore, compliance with this chapter does not put the state of Rhode Island in violation of federal law.”

Clearly lawmakers were not worried about whether or not the federal government would approve of their new laws – they are more concerned with bringing a cash crop back into the world of agriculture where it belongs. Under the new law, hemp will be considered any cannabis plant with less than one tenth of a percent THC. In most states (and federally) hemp is considered to be any cannabis plant with less than 3 percent THC. The new law also requires that plants be tested routinely throughout growing, harvesting and processing to ensure that they meet this requirement.

The bill was overwhelmingly supported during the voting process, receiving a unanimous 71-0 in the House and 26-7 in the Senate. This is a big step for those who will benefit from industrial hemp – which can be used in a number of products including food, clothing, cosmetics and more. Along with this bill, other cannabis related bills that passed include one adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana in the state. There was a bill aimed at legalizing cannabis entirely – however they did not get to vote on it before the end of this session.

Rhode Island has Legalized Hemp

 

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