Idea Of Oregon Hemp Commission Goes Up In Smoke

A proposal for an Oregon Hemp Commission has died in a Legislative committee.  The proposal for a commission to raise research funds for Oregon’s hemp industry failed to pass the Joint Ways and Means Committee in June.  The committee approves budget measures in each legislative session; a similar proposal was rejected by the committee two years ago.

An Oregon State University researcher says an industry-wide organization would help increase understanding of the difficulties faced by hemp growers.  Annual hemp production in Oregon has increased from less than a square mile to more than 78 square miles in the past five years.

Currently Oregon has 23 commodity commissions that collect assessment fees from farmers, ranchers and fishermen.

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