Industrial hemp was made legal in North Carolina last week as a result of Gov. Pat McCrory not vetoing or signing the bill after allowing it to sit on his desk for weeks.
The text of Senate Bill 313 states: “The General Assembly finds and declares that it is in the best interest of the citizens of North Carolina to promote and encourage the development of an industrial hemp industry in the State in order to expand employment, promote economic activity, and provide opportunities to small farmers for an environmentally sustainable and profitable use of crop lands that might otherwise be lost to agricultural production.”
The bill also mandates the creation of the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission. This entity will have the responsibility to “establish procedures for reporting to the Commission … for agricultural or academic research and to collaborate and coordinate research efforts with the appropriate departments or programs of North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University.”
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Staff Report ~ Technician
