Hemp growing would be banned in Anza, Aguanga, Sage and other parts of unincorporated Riverside County under the county’s first-ever hemp regulations.
The proposed ordinance, to be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Sept. 15, is supported by residents concerned that hemp growing will pollute and drain water supplies. But a lawyer for hemp farmers worries the rules could hurt a fledgling industry.
A cousin of marijuana used in products from therapeutic oils to rope, hemp, which doesn’t contain enough of the chemical found in marijuana to get people high, is a legal crop under federal law after President Donald Trump signed a bill in 2019 allowing hemp to be grown for non-research uses.
Currently, only a state permit is needed to grow hemp in unincorporated county areas. County planning officials asked for a temporary moratorium on hemp growing in May 2019 to develop hemp regulations, but the request came up short of the required 4/5ths vote needed for approval.
Read more at pe.com
