MADISON, Wis. — A bipartisan proposal designed to help Wisconsin’s fledgling hemp industry as it enters its second year faces opposition from law enforcement agencies concerned about a provision that would allow drivers to have THC in their blood.
The bill, heard by a Senate committee Thursday, is broadly designed to help farmers, hemp processors, retailers and consumers as the industry in Wisconsin explodes. In 2018, the first year of the program, Wisconsin issued 250 hemp growing licenses. Interest has skyrocketed this year, with more than 1,400 license applications to grow hemp and nearly 700 to process it, which is up from around 100 last year.
„Hemp is Wisconsin’s comeback crop,” the bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Patrick Testin, said at a news conference prior to the hearing.