hemp

Congress redefined hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill, allowing farmers to add the crop to their usual rotation of corn and soybeans. But six years later it’s rare to see hemp growing in Indiana.

On Friday the House Committee on Agriculture approved the bill, known as the Farm, Food, And National Security Act of 2024.

“I’m not opposed to a medicinal product that has been tested and proven, but this is the Wild West,” one lawmaker said.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued an opinion in January declaring that Delta-8 products are illegal, law enforcement around the state took note — and some members of the industry promptly filed suit.

Lower midwestern states are producing more maple syrup, Black farmers are finding their way into the hemp industry–these stories and more on Earth Eats this week.

As surrounding states have have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, state leadership has deferred to the federal government for guidance. But Hoosiers have found an alternative – by using hemp to create Delta 8 THC.