Adams County rep co-sponsors Pa. House hemp bill

If passed, the bill will help bring Pennsylvania closer to hemp cultivation, says state Rep. Dan Moul

By Lillian Reed
Source: eveningsun.com

State Rep. Dan Moul is co-sponsoring a bill in the House of Representatives that could legalize hemp cultivation in Pennsylvania.

The bill, which has not yet been presented to the House for consideration, would permit cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania under the state's Department of Agriculture or through an agricultural pilot program with an institution of higher learning.

Given hemp oils and raw materials are currently being imported from countries like China, the decision to co-sponsor the bill was any easy one, said Moul, R-Conewago Township.

"One of my assistants has a bottle of hemp lotion on her desk so we're already buying it," he said. "If farmers can find another crop to grow to help them, I'm all for the farmer."

Though the proposed bill would not allow the average farmer to cultivate hemp just yet, its approval would be a step in that direction, Moul said.

Following the passing of the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, which opened the door for hemp cultivation, more than 20 states jumped on the opportunity to begin production, he said.

State Rep. Russ Diamond, a Republican representing parts of Lebanon County and primary sponsor for the legislation, said various groups helped develop the bill.

The Keystone Cannabis Coalition, a nonprofit that hopes to advance cannabis and hemp reform in Pennsylvania, is providing assistance with the bill. Diamond consulted research from the Hawaii Industrial Hemp Research Project as well.

"Pennsylvania has a history of growing hemp and we also have especially fertile ground for this crop," he said. "So we thought let's just jump on this before the other states have the chance."

Another bill pertaining to hemp cultivation in Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 50, is being reviewed by legislators, Diamond said. Still, he said, there are differences between Senate Bill 50 and the draft.

While the Senate 50 authorizes the state to license private growers, the House bill does not. Diamond said he chose to omit private growers from the legislation because the Farm Bill was vague in describing who could actually plant the seeds.

"We thought let's just take it out and take baby steps first," Diamond said.

The Farm Bill makes a chemical distinction as to what qualifies as industrial hemp, he said, adding that his bill uses the same qualifications.

Industrial Hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa L., contains no more than .3 percent of the psychoactive agent tetrahydrocannabinol, according to the House bill.

THC levels in hemp's cousin, the marijuana plant, tend range from 7 or 8 percent to as high as 20 percent, according to the Hawaii Industrial Hemp Research Project. This means industrial hemp is incapable of getting a user high, according to the project.

In Adams County, McSherrystown Borough councilman David "Scotty" Bolton has pushed for local support of hemp cultivation.

Bolton penned a resolution that was signed by the Adams County Boroughs Association in November. At least 19 municipalities in the county have adopted the resolution, Bolton said.

The bill draft will remain open to co-sponsors for about two more weeks before it is officially presented to the House for consideration, Diamond said.

Moul said he expects the bill will be reviewed by the House agriculture committee, on which he sits as a member.

Though there is still no guarantee the bill will make it to a vote, Moul said, seeing other states jump at the opportunity leaves him optimistic.