Pubdate: Sun, 11 Oct 2015
Source: Times-Tribune, The (Scranton PA)
Copyright: 2015 Townnews.com
Contact:  http://www.thetimes-tribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4440
Author: Bill Wellock

FLYNN SEES POTENTIAL IN HEMP

Scranton Rep Cosponsors Bill to Grow Crop in State.

State Rep. Marty Flynn has read a lot about hemp, the name for 
cannabis plant varieties grown for industrial uses, such as fiber.

During his research, he kept thinking about the legal status of the plant.

"To me it seemed like there was no reason for it to be illegal," he said.

Mr. Flynn, D-Scranton, became a key cosponsor of House Bill 967, 
which creates a pilot program for growing hemp in Pennsylvania. The 
House Agriculture Committee just voted 24-0, with three members not 
voting, to move the bill out of the committee.

Mr. Flynn sees industrial hemp as a potential boon for the state. 
That's why he thinks it could come to a vote soon in the House.

"I think the temperature is right," he said. "The state needs money 
and more industry. This is definitely a way to improve those."

The bill, sponsored by Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, would allow the 
Department of Agriculture and universities to grow hemp under the pilot

program. The bill also creates regulations for growing the plant. Mr. 
Flynn said he may propose expanding who is allowed to grow the crop.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau supports Mr. Diamond's bill and another 
proposal. The bureau warned that hemp won't be a panacea for farmers 
looking for business and said it feared that farmers could face 
consequences because of federal laws that treat cannabis plants as illegal.

Hemp and marijuana are both from the cannabis plant. Hemp has a much 
lower content of tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound 
in the plant.
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