Indiana is now looking to regulate the farming of hemp — finally legalizing it’s production in the Hoosier state. In 2018, congress passed the Farm Bill, which re-categorize hemp as a cash crop rather than a controlled substance.

To clairfy, hemp and marijuana are not one and the same. Although both come from Cannabis Sativa. While marijuana is known for containing THC that creates a “high” for consumers, hemp only contains trace amounts of THC. Hemp can also be used to create products like clothing, rope, biofuels, lotion, and food.

Both the Indiana House and Senate have passed a bill to regulate the growth and distribution of hemp as a crop. There is a provision, though, that makes it illegal to smoke hemp or possess smokable hemp. Those incidences would be punishable as misdemeanors under this bill. That part might be a little tricky because it is legal to smoke hemp under federal law.

Now that bill moves to Governor Holcomb for a final go-ahead. According to Indy Star, the governor is “supportive of efforts to establish a hemp program.”

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@emilyontheradio