VERMONT HOUSE SUPPORTS AGRICULTURAL HEMP

BILL AS PASSED AND VOTE COUNT: www.ruralvermont.org

VERMONT HOUSE SUPPORTS AGRICULTURAL HEMP
Representatives vote 127-9 to allow farmers to grow the crop

MONTPELIER, VT--The Vermont House of Representatives today gave preliminary approval to the "Hemp for Vermont" bill, which would allow famers to grow industrial hemp in the state. Representatives voted 127-9 to support the bill, after a short floor debate. Final passage of the vote is expected on Friday, then the bill will move on to the Senate.

H.267 directs the Vermont Secretary of Agriculture to write rules which would allow farmers to get a permit to grow industrial hemp. Growers would be required to submit to a criminal background check, and if they had any felony convictions, they would not be allowed to grow the crop. This measure was added to the bill to address concerns from law enforcement, who believe that growers might try to grow marijuana instead of hemp. The House Agriculture Committee took testimony on this issue and decided that this would not be a problem, but added language to the bill to allay the fears of law enforcement. If the bill is enacted, permits issued to grow hemp would be valid for 2 years.

The debate on the floor centered around the issue of federal policy. Representative Will Stevens (I-Shoreham), who reported the bill for the Agriculture Committee, explained that technically, it's possible to grow hemp under federal law. However, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) refuses to give licenses to growers who have applied for them. Representative Patti Komline argued that it didn't make sense to pass a bill if Vermont farmers would not be allowed to grow hemp anyway.

Rural Vermont director Amy Shollenberger explained after the vote, "We want our farmers to have the first chance to take advantage of the market when DEA changes its position. Also, this bill will add to the growing pressure on DEA to issue permits to U.S. farmers who want to grow hemp." Rural Vermont backed the bill, and hopes to take it all the way to the governor's desk by Town Meeting Day in early March.