A bill that could allow hemp farming in Mississippi is making its way through the legislature. The bill has been amended to create a task force to study how hemp would be grown in Mississippi if it is legalized.
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson stated that his department has been asked to take a look at it on an advisory basis in the coming year.
“That’s probably not a bad idea considering the USDA issued a statement the week before last that they would not have industrial hemp cultivation rules in place until 2020,” said Gipson. “So even if you had a crop here today, there’s no federal rules under which you can do that and there’s no market for it. I think that’s something we need to consider too.”
He added that while he does have some concerns, he’s willing to explore the possibilities of hemp.
“We’ve had some farmers contact our office and express interest in it, and so, with this USDA review period as they’re preparing rules, we can do the same and take a look at it and come back and make a recommendation next session,” said Gipson.
He also said Mississippi would be a prime spot to grow hemp, but added that there are some legitimate concerns about the crop.
“I think the law enforcement community has some concerns and what people need to understand is that this is not a plant that’s like marijuana,” said Gipson. “It’s the same genus and species. It’s cannibis sativa and it’s the same plant, it’s just bred not to have THC content in it that would cause somebody to get high.”
He said one of the main concerns is that they don’t want someone planting this stuff on the outside rows and then cultivating marijuana on the inside and using it as a camoflauge for an illegal drug.
“I think law enforcement needs to be at the table while we look at this. Whether the legislation passes or not, under federal law, the state Department of Ag would take the lead in propagating rules for the cultivation and to address these kinds of concerns,” said Gipson. “I just want folks to know we’re very aware of this issue. We’re working very closely with our farm groups and our law enforcement on it so that if the time comes where we need to have rules on it, we’ll be prepared to move swiftly and in the meanwhile, we’re doing our homework and learning from the mistakes of other states.”
Gipson also added that he thinks everyone needs to take a deep breath and learn, and be prepared to move smart and swiftly on this if and when the time comes.
