Left to Right: Patrick Goggin, David Bronner, Bob McFarland, Senator Mark Leno and David Piller
On May 18th the California Senate voted 22 to 14 to pass SB 676, the hemp farming bill. The bill has now been sent to the Assembly. On Tuesday SB 676 passed out of the Public Safety Committee on a 5 to 2 vote! There are several more committee hearings yet to come, but we are very optimistic that SB 676 will pass the full Assembly and go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
Although it is perfectly legal to buy, sell, and import hemp products in the US, cultivation of the plant still remains illegal. But there are many reasons to hope that this bill is seen through into law. First, it would offer farmers access to a new cash crop.
Second, it would push hemp production closer toward critical mass and bring down the price of so many healthy and eco-friendly hemp-based products. This would give North American a more sustainable crop alternative to cotton, as well as be an important step toward fighting rising global commodity prices.
But most importantly, it would set a precedent for other US states to rethink their archaic legislation toward the hemp plant. And that would be critical in changing global legislative and industrial attitudes toward a plant that can address so many environmental, energy, and dietary needs.