It's 'go time' for Washington hemp, advocate says

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Friday loosening restrictions on growing and processing hemp, though farmers still will need to buy a license from the state and submit harvested plants for testing. For the first time, Washington farmers will be able to get seeds without federal approval and produce hemp for CBD oil. The bill also eliminates a 4-mile buffer between hemp and marijuana fields that made much of Washington off-limits to hemp.Industrial Hemp Association of Washington lobbyist Bonny Jo Peterson said she was elated with the outcome. "Under this bill, hemp will take off," she said. "It is completely go time."Washington has 11 licensed hemp growers, compared to about 750 in Oregon. Washington was more cautious about getting ahead of federal law and also gave marijuana growers the right to displace hemp farmers to prevent cross-pollination.Taking effect immediately, Senate Bill 5276 responds to a change in how the federal government classifies hemp.