INDIANAPOLIS —  A bill legalizing hemp in the Hoosier state is on the way to Governor Eric Holcomb.

Hemp, a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant, was long considered a “controlled substance” under federal law. That changed in 2018 when President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill, which redefined the plant as an “agricultural commodity.”

Senate Bill 516 creates regulations for growing and selling hemp and establishes a state-level hemp advisory committee that will report to the state chemist and seed commissioner.

The hemp plant can be used to make a variety of products, including rope, building materials, jewelry, plastics, and paper. Unlike marijuana, the hemp plant is low in THC, the substance that makes users feel high.

Gov. Holcomb is expected to sign the bill into law.

 

Photo  of Cannabis sativa plant by Robert Nelson on Unsplash