Wisconsin Governor Passes Bill to Assist Hemp Industry

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]W[/dropcap]isconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed the Wisconsin Act 68 on Nov. 26, which makes hemp cultivation a permanent addition to the state’s agricultural industry.

According to The Associated Press, the bill text of Act 68 also notes that the term “industrial hemp” will now be defined as just “hemp” and that the state’s definition will be aligned with that of the federal definition. Additionally, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is instructed to utilize contractors to test the levels of THC in all products. Act 68 also details regulations regarding incorrect or faulty assumptions made of hemp-based products. Individuals are prohibited from selling mislabeled hemp products, and are not allowed to make inaccurate claims about a product’s properties (including quality and origin).

“From textiles, to recycling and bioplastics, to industrial materials, hemp provides endless opportunities to Wisconsin farmers who are looking for new markets to enter, which is why interest in growing and producing hemp in Wisconsin has skyrocketed in the last year,” Gov. Evers said in a statement.

This change to policy is also noteworthy because Wisconsin is poised to either decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, legalize medical cannabis or even legalize recreational cannabis, depending on what is passed and how 2020 pans out. It’s a sign of the more progressive stances that state officials are starting to take.

Advocacy groups such as the Wisconsin Hemp Alliance (WHA) are praising the passage of the bill, and how it can help the industry flourish in the future. “Although the hemp industry is in its infancy, we are now poised to once again become a national leader,” said WHA President Rob Richard. “We now have a permanent hemp program. This opens up opportunities for research at our state’s universities, for product innovation, market development and crop diversification for our farmers.”

In 2018, the state launched a temporary industrial hemp pilot program, which allowed cultivators to obtain licenses and grow hemp over a two-year period. The DATCP issued 245 licenses during that time. Since then, the number of applications has increased to 1,247 hemp cultivators and processors.