This week a $867 billion measure was passed by the Senate that authorizes agriculture policies and spending as well as the food stamp program in the U.S.
The bill had been passed in an overwhelming vote of 87-13, where it went to the House for final approval and is expected to pass easily.
So why was this good news for the marijuana industry? The measure legalizes industrial hemp production.
“As promised, this farm bill provides much needed certainty and predictability for all producers of all crops across all regions across the country,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who pushed for the bill, tweeted, “At a time when farm income is down and growers are struggling, industrial hemp is a bright spot of agriculture’s future. My provision in the Farm Bill will not only legalize domestic hemp, but it will also allow state departments of agriculture to be responsible for its oversight.”
