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President Trump signed a Farm Bill that ushers in era of industrial hemp, but Nebraska's AG still views crop and its derivatives as illegal

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WEBVTT ROB: WHEN THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THE 2018 FARM BILL TODAY, HE MADE A SWEEPING CHANGE. JULIE: THE FEDS NO LONGER COUNT INDUSTRIAL HEMP AS A CONTROLLED SUBSTANC BUSINESSES AND FARMERS CELEBRATED THE NEWS, BUT DON’T LOOK FOR ANY OF THAT CHANGE IN NEBRASKA, YET. ROB: KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S DAVID EARL IS LIVE WITH WORD FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, DAVID? >> ROB, JULIE, DOUG PETERSON MADE HEADLINES ACROSS THE STATE WHEN HE ISSUED A MEMO TO LAW ENFORCEMENT CALLING CBD PRODUCTS FROM HEMP ILLEGAL UNDER STATE LAW. AND TONIGHT, THAT’S STILL HIS POSITION, DESPITE THE ACTION TAKEN TODAY BY PRESIDENT TRUMP HERE’S THE STATEMENT FROM PETERSON’S OFFICE. UNLESS AMENDED BY THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE, ALL CBD PRODUCTS IN NEBRASKA ARE STILL ILLEGAL UNDER THE NEBRASKA UNIFORMED CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACT. THE RECENTLY PASSED FARM BILL DID NOT ALTER EXISTING NEBRASKA LAW ON THIS ISSUE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN OTHER CONSERVATIVE STATES, LIKE ALABAMA, ISSUED GUIDANCE AS SOON AS THE FARM BILL PASSED CONGRESS, REVERSING THEIR OPINIONS OF HEMP-BASED CBD. THEY FIND THE PRODUCT LEGAL. OMAHA-BASED HEMP CBD STARTUP POPULUM, SAYS THE FIGHT FROM STATE LEADERS WILL PUTS NEBRASKA’S ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AT RISK. >> FOR OUR STATE TO SO STAUNCHLY SAY NO, ESPECIALLY BEING AN AGRICULTURAL STATE IS, CONFOUNDING. >> SINCE THE PRESIDENT SIGNED THE FARM BILL, REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR PETE RICKETT’S OFFICE SAYS HIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ARE REVIEWING THE HEMP PROVISION. GUNHEE PARK AT POPULUM SAYS INDUSTRIAL HEMP WILL BE A TWO BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY BY

Advertisement AG's stance on hemp after Farm Bill 'confounding,' says CBD business owner President Trump signed a Farm Bill that ushers in era of industrial hemp, but Nebraska's AG still views crop and its derivatives as illegal Share Shares Copy Link Copy

President Trump made a sweeping change that will impact the nation's agricultural economy when he signed the 2018 Farm Bill.The change has nothing to do with farm subsidies, crop insurance or food policy.With the stroke of a pen, the president authorized the growth of industrial hemp and the use of its derivatives -- like CBD -- nationwide.But as far as Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, a Republican, is concerned, nothing's changed."Unless amended by the Nebraska Legislature, all CBD products in Nebraska are still illegal under the Nebraska Uniformed Controlled Substance Act," said Suzanne Gage, Peterson's spokesperson. "The recently passed Farm Bill did not alter existing Nebraska law on this issue at this point in time."The news was met with disappointment by Omaha CBD business owner Gunhee Park whose Populum brand distributes hemp-based oil nationwide."For our state to so staunchly say no, especially being an agricultural state, is confounding," Park said.Park noted action from attorneys general in other conservative states after Congress passed the newly-enacted Farm Bill. In Alabama, the state's top cop issued guidance clarifying that CBD products derived from hemp are not considered illegal.Police in Scottsbluff used Peterson's position on CBD as a justification for raiding a CBD store and arresting a mother and son who ran the shop.Park called the situation sad."I just hope our public officials learn from the other states that hemp is clearly different from marijuana," he said.For Park, it's an economic issue. The longer Nebraska waits to embrace this new cash crop, the longer farmers will lose a lucrative market, he argues.By 2022, hemp will be a $2 billion industry.Republican Governor Pete Ricketts' spokesperson said his administration and the state Department of Agriculture will study the hemp provisions of the federal farm bill.