Iowa farmers who are interested in growing hemp won’t be able to get the ball rolling until the partial federal government shutdown ends. President Trump signed the Farm Bill into law last month, which included the Hemp Farming Act. It removed the plant from the Controlled Substances Act and made it legal to grow the plant. Stuart Titus, president and C-E-O of Medical Marijuana Inc. says the legalization of industrial hemp for Iowa farmers holds much promise.
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Farmers who want to grow hemp have to first fill out some paperwork for the U-S-D-A and pass an F-B-I background check, both of which are on hold due to the government shutdown. Still, Titus predicts the versatile hemp plant will quickly become a popular crop in Iowa.
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When the Iowa legislative session opens next week, lawmakers may consider new regulations on hemp production. Hemp does -not- contain T-H-C, the chemical in marijuana that causes a high, however, hemp can be used to make cannabidiol or C-B-D, which is used to treat several medical conditions. Current Iowa law only allows for C-B-D to be made by state-licensed producers and not through industrial hemp.