Rose Law Group Attorney, Omar Abdallah, who has been handling hemp-related issues, answers some FAQs about this potentially big new business
Is hemp marijuana or what’s the difference, and how is it legal to grow and ship across state lines now?
Hemp and marijuana are cousins. They are similar in that they come from the same genus or plant family, Cannabis, but they are different in their chemical composition. The main difference is that hemp plants contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, while marijuana contains between 5 and 20 percent THC–the psychoactive component that gives marijuana its euphoric effect. With only trace amounts of THC, however, hemp doesn’t share marijuana’s psychoactive or euphoric effects. In other words, hemp doesn’t get a user “high.”
In December of 2018, President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill which removed hemp from the definition of marijuana and allowed for the commercialization of hemp. This means that it is now legal to grow and ship hemp across state lines. You will still need to follow state hemp laws, however.
