Hemp Cultivation to Continue in Oregon

Oregon hemp growers can continue cultivating after the state Senate shot down a bill that would’ve put a two-year moratorium on production.

The bill – which breezed through the House earlier this week on a 53-6 vote – had wide support among marijuana growers concerned about the potential for cross-pollination.

Hemp advocates, however, said the measure would’ve been a death knell to their industry. Cliff Thomason, the head of an investor group involved with a hemp farm near Murphy, Oregon, called the bill’s defeat “a victory,” according to The Oregonian.

Oregon officials earlier this year said they potentially would have to revoke all 13 licenses given to hemp growers because the state neglected to obtain global-positioning system (GPS) data when determining the location and size of farms, a violation of Oregon Department of Agriculture rules.

Outdoor marijuana farmers had complained that hemp fields near their grows would bring down THC levels in their cannabis, rendering it less valuable.

Hemp generally contains less than 0.3% THC.

The bill would’ve stopped hemp growers from producing a crop for two years while the effects of cross-pollination between hemp and marijuana were determined.