The ongoing battle over industrial hemp legalization in Idaho may come to an end soon, as the state Senate approved House Bill 126 in a 30-5 vote on Wednesday.
Idaho is currently the only state where industrial hemp is illegal.
As previously reported by Hemp Grower, H.B. 126 would legalize the production, processing, research and transportation of industrial hemp in Idaho.
The law would also change the Idaho Code to differentiate hemp from cannabis by “amending Idaho’s list of controlled substances to differentiate between hemp, which has no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),” according to the Idaho Press.
State Sen. Abby Lee told Idaho Press she thinks the bill is a good policy, as it strikes the balance the state needs to ensure it is protecting its drug policy while providing farmers with the opportunity to grow hemp if they want to.
Sen. Jim Guthrie, who sponsored the measure, also told Idaho Press that many legislators have worked together to advance this bill. “Slowly but surely, we have moved this policy down the field,” he said. “We find ourselves near the end zone. Along the way, much effort by many diligent people has been employed.”
