California governor signs bill legalizing hemp farming in the state

When will the feds get enlightened?

After making its way through the Californian legislature with bi-partisan support (!), the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act (aka SB 566) was signed by governor Jerry Brown and became state law.

"With the signing of this bill, California is poised to grow industrial hemp when the federal government gives states the green light," said Senator Leno, D-San Francisco. "In the past year, the conversation to legalize the cultivation of hemp has gained momentum at the federal level, and it is only a matter of time before a farmer's right to grow hemp is restored. Hemp, which is already found in hundreds of consumer products manufactured in our state, is a perfect crop for California. It has great potential to revitalize family farms, create new jobs and stimulate the economy."

Support for the bill seemed to have been pretty wide and deep: "Strong support for the bill has come from The California Sheriffs Association, individual county sheriffs, family and organic farmers, environmental organizations, labor unions, and businesses statewide." So when will the feds wake up and do what's right? That's hard to know...

But it's funny to see how times have changed. Here's a wartime film (1942) by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) promoting the benefits of growing hemp:

Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

Via SacBee

See also: America's first hemp crop in 60 years was planted this week in Colorado

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-agriculture/california-governor-signs-bill-legalizing-hemp-farming.html

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