US Hemp Roundtable: Latest State Alerts

While State Capitols across the country are closing themselves to the public in response to the coronavirus crisis, much legislative work continues to go on behind closed doors.  And even where legislatures have recessed, many will return with critical legislation before them.  That’s why we expect elected officials to continue reviewing emails — meaning that now is an obvious time to reach out to them about our issues of concerns.

This week, we’re focusing on three states where important hemp bills need our continued focus and action.

State Alert:

Tennessee

Thanks to an extremely effective grassroots network of activists, the Volunteer State has one of the strongest legal regimes for hemp and CBD in the country.  SB 0279 would make it even stronger by specifying that industrial hemp and products derived from industrial hemp are not subject to scheduling as a controlled substance and are not subject to forfeiture or seizure.  Tennessee Hemp Supporters are urged to use our State Action Center to ask legislators to support SB 0279.

State Alert:

Nebraska

While LB 1152 initially seemed promising as originally filed, the most recent amendment to the bill has transformed what was initially a bill that the U.S. Hemp Roundtable supported into one which we oppose overall. The amendments to LB 1152 are inconsistent with the 2018 Farm Bill, and leading grassroots activists on the ground in Nebraska believe that many of the provisions are onerous and overly cumbersome for the hemp industry. We are asking Nebraska Hemp Supporters to use our State Action Center to tell legislators to oppose amended LB 1152.

State Alert:

South Dakota

Several weeks ago, we highlighted HB 1008, which would make South Dakota the 48th state with a hemp program and allow the purchase and sale of CBD. We reminded you that, in 2019, Governor Kristi Noem vetoed a bill that would have established a hemp program and that her veto was just a few votes away from being overridden. In the time since our update, HB 1008 passed the legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support and reached Governor Noem’s desk. Governor Noem has stated that as long as HB 1008 meets her “guardrails,” she will sign it. South Dakota Hemp Supporters are encouraged to use our State Action Center to tell her Governor Noem that HB 1008 does just that and to sign it into law.

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