Mississippi rejects hemp farming amendment, but proposals still pending

Mississippi lawmakers aren’t ready to regulate hemp.

A panel in the Mississippi state House turned down an amendment Monday that would have allowed farmers to grow hemp.

The proposal came on a bill to update the state’s classifications for drugs such as fentanyl.

Separate proposals to allow hemp production in Mississippi are still pending.

The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, though many states still consider the plant illegal under state laws.

The Farm Bill makes allowances for farmers in states that do not choose to regulate hemp, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not released any formal regulations for those situations, leaving investment in hemp legally uncertain for farmers in states like Mississippi.

The Mississippi drug bill, which could still be changed, would move cannabidiol products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Schedule 5, following the federal definition.

– Associated Press