Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill into law which will amend requirements imposed on Californian hemp farmers, giving them more liberty in producing crops for industrial use.

Under Senate Bill 1409, “industrial hemp” would no longer be defined in the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act as a fiber or oilseed crop.

Scott Wilk, the 21st district representative, has been working with other California legislators on getting SB 1409 passed by the Senate since February 2018.

“This is a big win for our local farmers. Industrial hemp uses less water than other crops and needs little to no pesticides,” said Wilk. “It is used in over 25,000 different products, and manufacturers that use hemp in their products have discussed locating to the Antelope Valley. The passage of SB 1409 will bring mortgage-paying jobs to our district.”

Farmers who grow fiber and/or oilseed crops in California are restricted to one tenth of an acre for cultivation.

Californian hemp farmers had to be certified before Jan 1, 2013, placing growers on a list of approved seed cultivators.

Agriculturists were allowed to produce crops as long as they met requirements set by the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA).

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AUMA prohibited industrial hemp farmers from pruning and tending to crops and imposed sampling and testing of plants for THC levels.

By law, seeds had to be tested and approved to ensure seeds met THC limitations regulated by the preceding mandate.

The bill changes time frames for pulling samples and testing, which will allow for a drying process prior to collection of specimens.

Under SB 1409, farmers are also now permitted to produce crops by cloning the plant, which doesn’t require traditional farming methods by sowing seed into terrain, which was previously illegal.

“My farmers in the Antelope Valley will be converting to hemp,” said Wilk. “I think once they complete the conversion, then the manufacturing jobs will follow.”

In the Antelope Valley, where alfalfa currently represents the No. 1 agricultural crop, farmers could save five acre-feet of water per acre when switching from alfalfa to hemp, according to officials.

The passing of this bill is set to revolutionize agriculture in California because it’s a very versatile product that has tons of uses, according to Wilk.

Industrial hemp is an agriculture crop grown and processed for thousands of consumer and food products, including alternatives to fossil fuel and wood products.

“California can now compete with 30 other nations and 19 states in the growth of industrial hemp,” said Wilk. “This will be a boon for California’s economy and local farmers.”

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