Oregon lawmakers may create hemp commission
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would establish a hemp commission in the state to raise money for research and promotion.
The Capital Press reported Thursday that House Bill 2740 would pay for the commission by charging assessments to hemp growers. It would also align the state and federal definitions of the crop.
Hemp is booming in Oregon and is poised to become the state’s top agricultural commodity with more than $1 billion in revenues in 2019. That’s up from roughly $500 million last year.
The legislation would also harmonize Oregon’s statutory language for hemp with the federal government’s, which recently changed with the national legalization of hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill.
