Industrial hemp bill ready for Senate vote

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PIERRE (AP) – A South Dakota Senate committee on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to legalize industrial hemp.

It will now be considered by the full Senate before it can head to Gov. Kristi Noem's desk to either be vetoed or signed into law. The Republican governor vetoed a similar proposal last year, but this year changed her position and told lawmakers she would not veto it again if they came up with provisions for its enforcement, regulation, transportation permitting, and funding.

Lawmakers are still working out the funding. The governor's office wants them to find $3.5 million in the state budget to get the hemp program up and running. The budget must be passed by the end of the session in three weeks.

The bill would allow people to grow hemp if they have a minimum plot size of 5 acres and keep the THC level of the plant below 0.3%. THC is the compound that produces a high in marijuana. It would also allow hemp to be processed into CBD oil and other products. Farmers and hemp processors would need to pay for a license from the state and obtain a permit to transport it.