LINCOLN — Nebraska Hemp Industries Association (NEHIA) is now an affiliate organization of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), a North American-based organization serving the constituents of the nation’s growing hemp industry.
The passage of Nebraska Legislative Bill 100 on April 2 allows for the production and marketing of industrial hemp, exempts industrial hemp from the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, and provides powers and duties for the State Department of Agriculture to regulate the crop. 2014 marks the inaugural year for NEHIA.
NEHIA’s education initiatives include support for industrial hemp farming and manufacturing industries in the state, and the facilitation of a hemp business resource network throughout Nebraska.
NEHIA will also provide resources to farmers interested in growing the crop, including information regarding sourcing certified hemp seed, seed varieties and hemp agronomy. The organization also will connect hemp producers with hemp manufacturers and processors both in the U.S. and abroad.
NEHIA is bolstered by the support from the HIA network, which has been a key player in fostering the growth and integrity of the North American hemp trade since 1992.
“As Nebraskans continue to learn more about the value that hemp brings with it, NEHIA will be there not only as educators to the public, but also to facilitate the needs of all levels of the industry including research, farming, manufacturing and retail.” said Jason Feldman, the Nebraska chapter’s founder.
He said HIA and NEHIA hold no position on the issue of medical or recreational marijuana legalization.
“Industrial hemp has been clearly defined as distinct from marijuana, having no drug value whatsoever,” Feldman said. “The NEHIA will focus exclusively on the growth of the industrial hemp market throughout Nebraska.”
Feldman said NEHIA is launching its initial fundraising campaign this year to create a strong association, in preparation for the emerging interest to establish hemp as a new trade commodity for the Nebraska economy. He said fundraising is primarily based on both individual memberships and business memberships.
LB 1001 permits hemp cultivation for research and development purposes, per the parameters set forth in Sec. 7606 of the Farm Bill, titled “The Legitimacy of Hemp Research.”
Feldman said hemp is an incredibly versatile crop, whose industrial applications include paper, building materials, bio-composites, vehicle components, nutritional foods, biofuels, soaps, cosmetics, animal bedding, packaging materials and textiles.
To learn more about NEHIA, visit its website at NebraskaHIA.org.
To date, Feldman said, 33 states have introduced and 22 have passed pro-hemp legislation. Fifteen states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia — have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production.
In 2013 both the U.S. Senate and House introduced versions of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, S. 359 and H.R. 525 respectively. So far in the 2014 legislative session, industrial hemp legislation has been introduced or carried over in Puerto Rico and 25 states.
For more complete information regarding state industrial hemp legislation, visit www.votehemp.com/state.html.
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