Evers signs bill making hemp program permanent

Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law a bipartisan bill that makes Wisconsin’s popular hemp-growing program permanent, according to an article by the Associated Press.

The law not only helps the state’s fledgling hemp program grow as it enters its second year, it also brings it into line with new requirements under the 2018 federal Farm Bill.

Hemp and marijuana are both forms of cannabis, but hemp lacks enough of active ingredient THC to get people high. However, it does have many industrial uses and a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers want them to be developed.

While the hemp program has bipartisan support, Evers and other Democrats have not been able to convince Republican lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize small amounts of pot.