Robert Celt
New Member
It is a green week in Pennsylvania, and not only because today is Saint Patrick's Day.
Two pieces of legislation passed yesterday that put the state closer to reviving its cannabis industry.
First, the Senate passed an industrial hemp bill with 49 members voting yes.
The passage of the bill, Senate Bill 50, was overshadowed yesterday by approval for a second piece of legislation – Senate Bill 3.
The House voted 149-43 to approve an amended version of S.B. 3, which would legalize the medical use of marijuana.
Like medical marijuana, a green light for industrial hemp could impact many industries. But first, S.B. 50 has to become law.
Senate Bill 50
After passing the Senate, S.B. 50 will move on to the House, according to Bill Evans, spokesperson for Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), who introduced the bill with Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon).
S.B. 50 authorizes a pilot program for the research, growth, cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania.
Hemp-related research could be conducted through the Department of Agriculture or institutions of higher education, according to the bill.
The House has introduced a similar bill. S.B. 50 will be assigned to a House committee for review.
The House will decide to use language from both bills to create one industrial hemp bill, or amend S.B. 50.
Both industrial hemp bills reflect current federal regulations on what states are allowed to do when it comes to reintroducing industrial hemp, according to Geoff Whaling, president of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council.
Whaling, a Canadian native who now lives in the midstate, is familiar with many facets of both the industrial hemp and medical marijuana industries.
Industrial hemp
The reintroduction of industrial hemp, which was grown in Pennsylvania in the early 1900s, could impact many different industries, not just agriculture.
First, it would drive a need for new farming equipment. The plant grows between 12-18 feet tall, according to Whaling.
Hemp can be used for building materials, and it can be formed into a lumber-like product that can be used to make cabinets, flooring and even walls.
Other parts of the plant could be used in animal bedding and landscape mulch.
"The challenge is, how do you get the industry to start looking at it and considering it?" Whaling said. "It's going to be a slow process."
Currently, the U.S. imports about $600 million worth of hemp products annually from Canada and China. It is the largest importing nation and the only importing nation that doesn't grow it, according to Whaling.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Pass Industrial Hemp And Medical Marijuana Bills
Author: Lenay Ruhl
Contact: Central Penn Business Journal
Photo Credit: Rose Grant
Website: Central Penn Business Journal
Two pieces of legislation passed yesterday that put the state closer to reviving its cannabis industry.
First, the Senate passed an industrial hemp bill with 49 members voting yes.
The passage of the bill, Senate Bill 50, was overshadowed yesterday by approval for a second piece of legislation – Senate Bill 3.
The House voted 149-43 to approve an amended version of S.B. 3, which would legalize the medical use of marijuana.
Like medical marijuana, a green light for industrial hemp could impact many industries. But first, S.B. 50 has to become law.
Senate Bill 50
After passing the Senate, S.B. 50 will move on to the House, according to Bill Evans, spokesperson for Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), who introduced the bill with Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon).
S.B. 50 authorizes a pilot program for the research, growth, cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania.
Hemp-related research could be conducted through the Department of Agriculture or institutions of higher education, according to the bill.
The House has introduced a similar bill. S.B. 50 will be assigned to a House committee for review.
The House will decide to use language from both bills to create one industrial hemp bill, or amend S.B. 50.
Both industrial hemp bills reflect current federal regulations on what states are allowed to do when it comes to reintroducing industrial hemp, according to Geoff Whaling, president of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council.
Whaling, a Canadian native who now lives in the midstate, is familiar with many facets of both the industrial hemp and medical marijuana industries.
Industrial hemp
The reintroduction of industrial hemp, which was grown in Pennsylvania in the early 1900s, could impact many different industries, not just agriculture.
First, it would drive a need for new farming equipment. The plant grows between 12-18 feet tall, according to Whaling.
Hemp can be used for building materials, and it can be formed into a lumber-like product that can be used to make cabinets, flooring and even walls.
Other parts of the plant could be used in animal bedding and landscape mulch.
"The challenge is, how do you get the industry to start looking at it and considering it?" Whaling said. "It's going to be a slow process."
Currently, the U.S. imports about $600 million worth of hemp products annually from Canada and China. It is the largest importing nation and the only importing nation that doesn't grow it, according to Whaling.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pennsylvania Lawmakers Pass Industrial Hemp And Medical Marijuana Bills
Author: Lenay Ruhl
Contact: Central Penn Business Journal
Photo Credit: Rose Grant
Website: Central Penn Business Journal
