Maine Officially Legalizes Commercial Hemp Cultivation

A
new decree that allows for the cultivation of hemp in Maine is currently in
effect after a veto by Gov. Paul LePage was superseded, according to Governing.com.

“I
am absolutely thrilled that this is now law,” stated Rep. Deborah
Sanderson, R-Chelsea. The veto was overridden by a vote of 135 in favor, 6
opposed and 10 absences on May 12 in the Maine House. The senate also chose to
reverse the veto on June 16, by a vote of 28 in favor and 6 opposed.

“This
was overwhelmingly overridden,” she added on Monday of the veto. “It
got big support in both the House and the Senate. Lawmakers from both sides of
the aisle really showed their support for it.”

On
Monday, Sanderson said the emergency statute would go into effect immediately so
that cultivators can plant their seeds as early as possible.

The
rule permits planters to buy hemp seeds from any qualified seed source, rather
than only certified Canadian producers, as initially presented in the first
version of the bill.

When
Sanderson first introduced the bill, community members, farmers, organic
growers, and agricultural researchers rallied behind the initiative. The
measure will open new prospects to farmers and deliver local sourcing for many
hemp-made products, according to the representatives.

Hemp
fibers have many diverse uses including textile making, paper, insulation,
building materials and composites for auto bodies. But hemp is also tainted in
controversy because it comes from the same plant as cannabis, which is why it’s
still classified as a drug under federal law. But proponents argue that
industrial hemp contains far less THC than cannabis sativa and cannot be used
to get “high.”

On
Feb. 10, during a public hearing on the bill in the State House, Jon Olson of the
Maine Farm Bureau testified that the farming of industrial hemp was deliberated
at an Aroostook County Farm Bureau meeting and said that famers believed it
would be “value added” crop to add to their rotation.

Ann
Gibbs, acting Director of the Animal and Plant Health Division for the Maine
Department of Agriculture, was neutral on the bill and stated that hemp is
classified as a “drug” under the Federal Controlled Substance Act, and would be
difficult to import for commercial use due to the restrictions. The DEA
controls any hemp that is grown legally and has only given permission to the
state Department of Agriculture or to universities for research so far.

The
bill calls for licensing fees that should be “reasonable and necessary to
cover the costs of the department” and would be set at the preference of
the Maine Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Colorado,
Kentucky and Vermont have already legalized industrial hemp for cultivation and
research.