INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Indiana House voted for a bill this week that would allow farmers in Indiana to legally grow industrial hemp.
Rep. Jim Lucas’ bill HB 1137, would allow Hoosier farmers to grow the low-THC substance on their family farms.
It likely will face some down votes in the Senate. Last year, 13 senators voted no against a bill that legalized CBD oil for epileptic patients.
The bill would create an agricultural pilot program, made up of some farmers, for officials to “study the growth, cultivation, and marketing of industrial hemp and industrial hemp products.”
In 2014, Congress passed a federal farm bill allowing states to permit the growth of industrial hemp for research purposes. Neighboring states like Kentucky have already implemented an industrial hemp pilot program.
Under the law in Kentucky, farmers can apply for a permit to grow industrial hemp and sell it for various products, such as CBD oil, hemp seed oil and fiber for car manufacturing.
If this Rep. Lucas’ measure gets passed through the Senate, it would create more momentum for the legalization of marijuana in the Hoosier State.
Click here to view the bill.
