Pennsylvania Gov Signs Industrial Hemp Law

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has put his signature on a law that could restart his state’s hemp industry.

The new law, while it doesn’t immediately authorize commercial hemp production, could lead to “large scale production,” according to WITF.

The law authorizes the state Agriculture Department and institutions of higher education to begin cultivating hemp for research purposes, either by themselves or via independent contractors, which could lead to solid business opportunities for would-be hemp growers in Pennsylvania.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Russ Diamond, said that could bring about sizable hemp harvests, WITF reported. That in turn could lead to the expansion of the program, possibly opening up hemp cultivation to private interests down the road.

The bill also establishes a board to write regulations surrounding industrial hemp production.