Idaho Legislators Introduce Industrial Hemp Legalization Bill

One of the last holdouts in the U.S. hemp marketplace, Idaho may be getting into the game this year. State legislators introduced a bill Feb. 17 that would legalize the crop and meet federal regulations.

“I will assure you that should you choose to print this bill, we will have a robust discussion about this policy and opportunities in the state of Idaho,” State Sen. Abby Lee (R-Fruitland) told the Senate State Affairs Committee.

The move comes after a cautious debate over the past year in Idaho. While the state earned headlines for its arrest of multiple truck drivers who were transporting legally grown hemp through its jurisdiction, the more policy-minded side of the hemp conversation has proceeded slowly. The governor signed an executive order to allow interstate hemp transport through Idaho (something that was already legalized by Congress under the 2018 Farm Bill), and this new bill directs the state department of agriculture to develop plans in accordance with its federal counterpart. 

In our January/February issue, Associate Editor Theresa Bennett provided a close look at the issues in Idaho over the past year. Whether Lee’s bill picks up any traction remains to be seen. 

“Thank you, Sen. Lee, for your diligence and perseverance on this issue,” State Sen. Chuck Winder (R-Boise) told her, according to the Idaho Press. “Seems like it’d be a fairly simple thing to deal with, with the changes at the federal level, but it certainly hasn’t been. … I look forward to further discussions.”