Walker signs bill legalizing hemp farming in Wisconsin

Wisconsin farmers will be allowed to grow industrial hemp under a bill Gov. Scott Walker signed into law.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Jesse Kremer, tweeted Thursday that signing the bill will make Wisconsin a national and global leader in hemp production. His tweet included the hashtag “AmericasHempland.”

The bill passed the Legislature with unanimous support.

With Walker’s signature, Wisconsin will join at least 30 states that have legalized hemp farming.

Supporters in Wisconsin say hemp has a wide range of uses and farmers are poised to capitalize on the law change and grow a profitable crop.

Under the new law, hemp plants grown couldn’t contain more than 0.3 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. And hemp farmers with drug convictions would not be eligible for state-issued licenses to grow the crop.