The 2018 Farm Bill, packed with provisions that will legalize hemp oil and CBD federally, remains on track. Yesterday afternoon the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee passed the groundbreaking 2018 Farm Bill (officially titled the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) by a 20-1 vote.
In reaction to the Senate Agriculture Committee passage, Senate Majority Leader and lead sponsor of the Hemp Farming Act, Mitch McConnell said, “It’s a landmark piece of legislation that will benefit farmers and communities throughout our country. I’m particularly excited that the legislation being considered today includes provisions from the Hemp Farming Act of 2018.”
The lone “no” vote during the panel meeting was from Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who on Tuesday night filed an amendment to the bill that would have excluded hemp-derived CBD as a hemp product. Senator Grassley’s Farm Bill amendment was not voted on by the committee.
The 2018 Farm Bill, already with bi-partisan support, is expected to be voted on by the U.S. Senate before the July 4th recess. Yesterday’s vote is another crucial and decisive step for everyone who appreciates and is grateful for the benefits that industrial hemp so easily provides.
The marathon to federal legalization of industrial hemp is not over though. Collectively, we need to continue to band together and urge representatives to support hemp’s complete legalization. For representative contact information in your state visit the resource section on NationalHempAssociation.or
