Last week, Bluestem posted that the MN Senate Committee on Jobs, Agriculture & Rural Development hears industrial hemp bill.
On Wednesday at 10:15 a.m., the Agriculture Policy committee will hear the House companion bill, HF683, which is authored by committee vice-chair, Representative Mary Franson.
House Media and The Uptake will livestream the hearing.
The measure enjoys broad support from farm groups such as the Minnesota Farm Bureau and the Minnesota Farmers Union, since farmers would like to have another profitable crop to add to their rotation. The bill doesn't provide for widespread cropping of the plant, but would allow industrial hemp research in Minnesota, seen as a step toward end the ban on hemp cultivation.
In general, law enforcement groups oppose the bill because of the similarity in appearance of hemp--which contains very little THC--with marijuana plants that do. Minnesota farmers successfully grew the crop in World War II with very little confusion.
Photo: WWII-era farmers harvesting hemp.
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