Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday vetoed a bill that would have authorized industrial hemp farming in Kings and several other California counties, angering hemp supporters.
“I can’t believe it,” said Charles Meyer, a longtime hemp advocate with a 3,500-acre farm near Stratford. “I thought that, after 15 years of going up there to testify, we had convinced everybody and anybody, including the sheriff in Kings County.”
Meyer was referring to a July 26 Kings County Board of Supervisors meeting during which supervisors voted to support the hemp bill after listening to Sheriff Dave Robinson say he had no objection.
The bill would have given farmers the green light to grow hemp — a form of cannabis related to pot but lacking the mind-altering ingredients — as part of an exploratory program in Kings, Kern, San Joaquin and Imperial counties. Hemp is used in a variety of industrial and commercial applications, including clothing, rope and car door panels.
In his veto message, Brown said allowing the bill to become law would “subject a California farmer to federal prosecution.”
Brown’s decision comes just two days after federal authorities announced that they would be cracking down on medical marijuana shops and plant grows in California. Cannabis of any kind is illegal under federal law.
The veto outraged hemp advocates, who had seen previous measures rejected by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was the first hemp bill passed by the Legislature and sent to Brown for consideration.
“After four vetoes in 10 years, it’s clear we lack a governor willing to lead on this important, ecological, agricultural and economic issue,” said Patrick Goggin, director of Vote Hemp. “We will regroup, strategize and use this veto to our advantage at the federal level.”
Many hemp supporters like Meyer expected Brown to sign the bill into law, and were planning to seek a court order against the federal government to allow the pilot program to move forward.
“It occurs to me that the executive branch of the state of California is not too interested in supporting farming,” Meyer said. “Otherwise [Brown] would go to bat for us.”
The reporter can be reached at 583-2432 or snidever@HanfordSentinel.com.
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