The latest Farm Bill signed by President Trump this month opens up the possibility for farmers to grow hemp, but it’s still up to each state to legalize the crop.
Idaho takes a hard line on anything resembling marijuana.
Hemp doesn’t have enough THC to get someone high, but it still has trace amounts and that makes it illegal under state law.
Republican Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy from Genesee is trying to change that.
“Any opportunity we have to help our Idaho farmers find a crop that’s economically viable for them and good for them to grow and good for their land I think we need to pursue it,” Nilsson Troy says.
She’s drafted a bill to introduce during the upcoming legislative session that would legalize hemp.
Outgoing Gov. Butch Otter fought any measure related to marijuana, including vetoing a bill legalizing CBD oil. He later OK’d a pilot program for kids with severe epilepsy to use a synthetic version of CBD oil.
If the legislature approves Nilsson Troy’s bill, it’s not clear if Governor-elect Brad Little will support it. A spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
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