A few days ago, Arizona lawmakers voted 26-4 in favor of approving Senate Bill 1337 that makes way for the legalization of industrial hemp in the state.

The new bill will allow for farmers in the state to obtain a specific license that would allow them to go ahead and cultivate hemp in the area. After just recently being approved by the House, it's going to be heading back to the Senate for a final vote and then Governor Doug Ducey.

This recent approval by the House, comes after it already saw approval from the Senate Commerce and Public Safety Committee, and the Senate Appropriations Committee.

For those who take part in growing under this license, they will need to submit to testing requirements because they need to prove that they aren't growing cannabis and that they are only growing hemp.

As of right now, cannabis is legal in the state for medicinal purposes only, but it's still prohibited for recreational use.

The hemp crop is one that could contribute to creating tens of thousands of different products and also creating hundreds of new jobs. There are many things that can be made: clothes, paper, food, livestock feed, rope, body care products, shelter, and a heck of a lot more.

It's estimated to be at least a $600 million a year market at the moment and a number of states are looking to get involved in producing industrial hemp in the future, not just Arizona. And there are a number currently producing hemp: Kentucky, Colorado, Vermont, Tennessee, Oregon, and others. A number of them just grow it at the moment for research purposes.

This new bill if passed would set out rules regarding the processing, production, distribution, manufacturing, and commerce, surrounding the industrial hemp.

It would be nice to provide farmers with a new way to earn a living if they were ready and willing to start growing this plant on their property. It's remarkable the tens of thousands of products that could potentially be created with hemp and that really opens the way for many jobs to be created and a lot of wealth to follow.

It's time state lawmakers look to embrace hemp rather than shun it.

Pics:
TheJointBlog
Regency Tower
Giphy
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Sources:
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35389139/az-lawmakers-might-soon-legalize-growing-hemp
http://www.kyma.com/news/arizona-bill-to-allow-the-growth-of-hemp/490155203
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikolas-kozloff/fighting-climate-change_b_2982614.html

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