Washington State Lawmakers Unanimously Approve Hemp Legalization Legislation
Washington State's House of Representatives has unanimously approved Second Substitute House Bill 1888, a proposal to explicitly legalize hemp cultivation.
In Washington, the cultivation of hemp was technically decriminalized through the passage of Initiative 502; however, the initiative failed to establish any specific regulatory system for hemp, and it set the limit for the THC found in hemp at 0.3%, a common number for pending hemp legislation across the country, but a number that many farmers and advocates have argued is unreasonably low.
Second Substitute House Bill 1888 would raise the minimum THC allowed in hemp to 1%, the number recommended by the North American Industrial Hemp Council.
In addition, the proposal, according to an official analysis, would:
Authorizes the Director of the Department of Agriculture (Director) to issue licenses for the growing of industrial hemp.
Requires the Director to establish a fee to administer the industrial hemp program.
Designates industrial hemp as an agricultural product which may be grown, produced, possessed, and commercially traded pursuant to the requirements of the act.
Creates an industrial hemp account in the State Treasury that is funded by licensing fees.
Authorizes the Washington State University to undertake research regarding industrial hemp production in this state.
The proposal, which is sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, now moves to the Senate, where its passage will send it to Governor Jay Inslee for consideration.
hemphemp legalizationhouse bill 1888industrial hempwashington state
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
This job creating money producing industry, you are not giving it a chance, let go of all the rules. You do not need to take responsibility for the moral state of the people who want to grow and use thus product. we voted,
One can not grow a small patch to make cloth, building products for home use. Is this true under this law, like a patch of green beans in a garden would be govenered the same as Del Monte?