Vermont § 561 - Findings; intent

§ 561. Findings; intent

• (a) Findings. (1) Hemp has been continuously cultivated for millennia; is accepted and available in
  the global marketplace; and has numerous beneficial, practical, and economic uses,
  including high-strength fiber, textiles, clothing, biofuel, paper products, protein-rich
  food containing essential fatty acids and amino acids, biodegradable plastics, resins,
  nontoxic medicinal and cosmetic products, construction materials, rope, and value-added
  crafts. (2) The many agricultural and environmental beneficial uses of hemp include livestock
  feed and bedding, stream buffering, erosion control, water and soil purification,
  and weed control. (3) The hemp plant, an annual herbaceous plant with a long slender stem ranging in height
  from four to 15 feet and a stem diameter of one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch,
  is morphologically distinctive and readily identifiable as an agricultural crop grown
  for the cultivation and harvesting of its fiber and seed. (4) Hemp cultivation will enable the State of Vermont to accelerate economic growth and
  job creation, promote environmental stewardship, and expand export market opportunities. (5) Section 10113 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-334 authorizes the growing, cultivation, and marketing of hemp under a U.S. Department
  of Agriculture approved State program. (6) The federal Agricultural Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-79, Sec. 7606, codified at 7 U.S.C. § 5940, authorized states, subject to certain requirements, to implement agricultural pilot
  programs for the growing, cultivation, and marketing of hemp, notwithstanding restrictions
  under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The pilot program was previously set
  to expire in 2020, but states may now operate a pilot program in 2021. The pilot program
  and 7 U.S.C. § 5940 are currently scheduled for repeal on January 1, 2022. (b) Purpose. The intent of this chapter is to establish policy and procedures for growing, processing,
  testing, and marketing hemp and hemp products in Vermont that comply with federal
  law so that farmers and other businesses in the Vermont agricultural industry can
  take advantage of this market opportunity. (Added 2007, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; amended 2013, No. 84, § 1; 2017, No. 143 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 2019, No. 44, § 1, eff. May 30, 2019; 2021, No. 47, § 10, eff. June 1, 2021; 2021, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. July 1, 2022.)