June 13, 2018
U.S. Senate Committee Passes Bill To Legalize Hemp
Anthony Martinelli
In a historic vote, a committee of the U.S. Senate has passed legislation that would legalize industrial hemp across the nation.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry voted 20 to 1 earlier today to pass the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes a provision that would explicitly legalize industrial hemp across the United States. The provision was included by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R).
“I think it’s time we took this step,” McConnell said before the committee’s vote. “I think everybody has now figured it out that this is not the other plant”. McConnell noted that “It’s a landmark piece of legislation that will benefit farmers and communities throughout our country.”
It’s unclear if the full Senate will pass the Farm Bill with the hemp legalization provision included, but there’s a better chance than ever now that it has bipartisan support including being supported by both the Senate majority and Senate minority leaders.
