Historic Tennessee Crop To Thrive Again – Governor Haslam Signs HEMP Bill

The State of Tennessee has opened the doors for the Department of Agriculture to issue license for industrial hemp farming in the Volunteer State. Long considered an viable alternative to other sources of fiber and cellulose, HB 2445 introduced by District 11 Representative Faison and Companion SB 2495 introduced by Senator Niceley effectively divorced industrial hemp production from marijuana and removed it from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s jurisdiction in Tennessee, so long as it is farmed while meeting inspection requirements. The Department of Agriculture will oversee the regulations and licensure necessary to produce industrial hemp in Tennessee. HB 2445 was signed into law by Governor Haslem on May 14, 2014 and makes Tennessee one of the most progressive states in regard to agricultural hemp production. While several states have waded into the waters of legalizing industrial hemp, most have been weak attempts that have not had the language associated with bills necessary to truly capitalize on industrial hemp production. The language in HB 2445 clearly indicates Tennessee’s intent to open the agricultural doors to industrial hemp production and puts a 120 day window for the Department of Agriculture to initiate procedures to apply for licensure, fees, as well as rules and regulations for industrial hemp production. The economic impact for the Tennessee agricultural market could be tremendous.

Representative Faison said” I am very excited that the Governor signed the bill into law and that next year we will be seeing industrial hemp fields in Tennessee. There are thousands of uses for this plant, from medicinal to industrial, and it has the bonus of being environmentally friendly.” According to Representative Faison, Tennessee is simply returning to its agricultural roots, as it was formerly the number one state for hemp production. In fact, it is prominent on the 1914 ten dollar bill, which boasts the face of Tennessee’s own President Andrew Jackson. Representative Faison attributes the reluctance of other states to capitalize on the crop as confusion with marijuana, when in fact, hemp has no recreational drug value. Faison stated “This is a crop that has the potential to be economically beneficial to Tennessee farmers and that is good news for both the farm communities and the state as a whole. It has been demonized as a recreational drug by those that are ill informed. The truth is that in the next five years, industrial hemp could become a thriving crop in Tennessee once again and the bill was written to assure that Tennessee has a quick start in finding its way into the industrial hemp marketplace rather than languishing in departmental policies and procedures.”