By Benjie Cooper

IG: @nuglifenews

YouTube: Lucid’s Vlog

As one of his final acts before stepping down from office, Governor Eric Greitens signed HB2034 into law Friday, making Missouri the next state to legalize industrial hemp.

The bill, which was introduced by Representative Paul Curtman [R] in January, passed the House with a 141-4 vote in February before gaining the Senate’s approval with a 29-3 vote in May

The new law creates “an industrial hemp agricultural pilot program, in accordance with federal law, to be implemented by the department to study the growth, cultivation, processing, feeding, and marketing of industrial hemp.”

Those who receive a license from the Department of Agriculture will be able to cultivate, harvest, and process industrial hemp which the bill defines as “Cannabis sativa L. containing no greater than 0.3% THC, from the definition of marijuana and the list of controlled substances.”

Licenses issued under the program will be valid for a three-year period before they require renewal. Those who wish to participate in the program must meet statutory requirements and will be subject to a criminal history background check.

Individuals convicted of felony offenses involving the possession, distribution, manufacturing, cultivation, or use of a controlled substance within the past five years will not be eligible for licenses in the program.

Under the new law, institutions of higher learning may collaborate with the Department of Agriculture to study the cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp and hemp seed. Additionally, the Missouri Crop Improvement Association will be allowed to establish and run a seed certification program which would be voluntary for industrial hemp farmers.