Pittsburgh has placed a 45-day moratorium on the establishment and operation of any new commercial businesses involving raw hemp.
The urgency ordinance comes about as a result of new federal regulations from the U.S. farm bill that in December of 2018 made it legal to grow industrial hemp. Similar to marijuana, but lacking the high concentration of THC that gets one high, hemp is used primarily to make CBD, or cannabidiol, oil and other health products.
Jordan Davis, assistant to the city manager, told the City Council this week that a moratorium was needed because the city’s current cannabis ordinance does not address hemp, and the city needs time to draft regulations on it. Hemp also does not fall under state regulations for cannabis because it contains less than 0.3 percent of THC, he said.
