Friday, February 14, 2014

Good morning,

I have talked before about the huge potential benefits of industrial hemp. You can watch an eye-opening video I posted earlier by clicking: Hemp - What Are We Waiting For?

It is a crime that this wonder crop is illegal to grow in the United States, but headway is being made. Please scroll down for details.

Thanks for reading,

Your Living Green editor

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It might be a long time before the federal government legalizes recreational marijuana. But once President Obama signs the new five-year farm bill that won passage in the Senate, its less controversial cousin, hemp, will have the all-clear.

A short clause buried deep in the 959-page bill authorizes colleges and universities to grow industrial hemp for research purposes, so long as their state permits the growth and cultivation of the plant.

Right now, that's nine states: California, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont, and Maine. Another 11 states have bills pending before their legislatures this year.