House votes to legalize industrial hemp

On Wednesday, February 15 the New Hampshire House passed HB 151, a bill to legalize industrial hemp at the state level. 

Hemp is a plant that can be used to manufacture paper, fuel, and a wide range of other products.

The federal government outlawed hemp in the 1970s because the plant is related to marijuana. Hemp contains too little THC to create a high, but is technically a form of cannabis.

Federal law now allows states to grow hemp for research and development, but commercial production is still illegal.

Supporters of HB 151 argued that hemp could be an economic boon to New Hampshire. The state already imports hemp from Canada.

Opponents argue that the federal government should lead the way on legalizing hemp. Others argue that the visual similarities between hemp and marijuana could make drug enforcement more difficult for law enforcement.

When we asked our Facebook community about this issue last December, an overwhelming majority supported legalizing industrial hemp. We summarized those comments and presented them as citizen testimony at the public hearing on HB 151. Click here to read the report.