Senate passes bill allowing Oklahoma farmers to grow hemp
A bill that would allow Oklahoma farmers to grow hemp is heading to Gov. Mary Fallin's desk.
The Senate voted 39-1 in favor of House Bill 2913. The bill would allow Oklahoma farmers to grow hemp, a plant that looks similar to marijuana but has differences when it comes to THC.
Hemp has about 20,000 industrial uses, including cannabidiol, clothing and feed.
State Reps. Jon Echols and Mickey Dollens said in February that the bill has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana in Oklahoma.
"Absolutely nothing to do with recreational marijuana; medical marijuana. This is a totally separate thing," Echols said in February.
The two lawmakers say the bill would help Oklahoma's struggling economy, as an acre of hemp would yield $1,500. Dollens and Echols say the bill would create hundreds of jobs and would generate about $300 million per year.
"As we go on, it could be the next $1 billion industry in Oklahoma," Dollens said.