The N.H. Hemp Council won one and lost one this week.

Thursday morning, the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a federal judge's ruling that hemp, a relative of the marijuana plant, could not be grown commercially.

Later Thursday, the N.H. House Finance Committee voted 16-5 to recommend that the entire House approve a bill to legalize hemp cultivation on a commercial scale.

The bill approved by the committee would allow farmers to grow hemp after obtaining a permit. The state would issue licenses to grow hemp, be the sole supplier of the seeds and regulate the industry. People with criminal records involving drug offenses within the past 10 years would automatically be ineligible for a permit.

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