Merkley and Wyden helped create a pilot program to legalize U.S. hemp production in the 2014 farm bill. Then, in the 2018 farm bill, they secured bipartisan support to successfully include the Hemp Farming Act of 2018— officially recognizing hemp as an agricultural product in
have faced consecutive years of severe drought, driven by climate change With this grant, researchers will “determine the feasibility of establishing sustainable supply chains for biobased manufacturing to help hemp reach its potential in the
the United States. Since then, hemp has quickly become one of Oregon’s leading cash crops, and many feel it has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in sales to Oregon in the coming years. Merkley and Wyden have been pushing the USDA to develop a fair and reasonable regulatory framework that would allow hemp farmers in Oregon and across the country to compete in the global hemp industry.
rural western U.S. economic landscape,” their proposal explains. “The outcome from this project will be to provide farmers, financial decision-makers, rural and tribe business developers, policy makers, federal and state service agency providers, and regulators the science-based information they need to make decisions when evaluating the technical, economic, environmental, and social
“I’m both gratified that USDA has recognized OSU’s groundbreaking research in this growth crop and am committed to continuing the work needed to get federal regulators to treat hemp fairly.” – Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator
dynamics of incorporating hemp-based industries into the four-state regional economy across Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California.” The $10 million grant funds this research over five years. n
Hemp is unique in that it can be used as a base material to create many different products, and it is not water- intensive—particularly important for Oregon farmers who
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October 2021 | The Business Review
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