LINCOLN- On Tuesday, the Legislature's Agriculture Committee heard testimony on LB263, a bill that would amend the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act to align with the 2018 federal Farm Bill. The bill would also increase the harvest window for hemp from 15 to 30 days, require the Nebraska Hemp Commission to meet annually instead of quarterly, increase the negligence threshold of THC from 0.5% to 1%, and allow the use of performance-based sampling and remediation options for hemp testing.

The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Steve Halloran, received no opposition testimony during the hearing on Tuesday, but saw many proponent testifiers argue for the importance of Nebraska to "tap into" the potential of hemp production. "A thriving hemp industry in Nebraska could create new job opportunities and stimulate economic growth," said Jacob Bish, "particularly in rural areas of the state."

Sherry Vinton, director of the Department of Agriculture, also gave her own proponent testimony, arguing that this bill is essentially a copy of a similar bill that reached the first round of debate last session but didn't pass. Annette Wiles, chair of the Nebraska Hemp Commission, said that the institution "will never be successful" without future funding, which this bill will provide.

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