March 16, 2016
HARRISBURG, March 16, 2016 – State Sen. Judy Schwank’s proposal to return hemp as a legal, cash crop in Pennsylvania was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate today.
Senate Bill 50, which Schwank and Sen. Mike Folmer introduced more than a year ago, was approved by the upper chamber, 49-0.
“The United States imports $650 million worth of hemp from Canada and China,” Schwank said during floor remarks. “In Canada hemp is estimated to be more than a $2 billion crop. Pennsylvania farmers who can grow hemp should be allowed to once again.”
If approved by the governor, SB 50 would start small with a pilot program under the supervision of academic and state government experts.
“The goal is to research best practices and clear the way for Pennsylvania to become a hemp-farming powerhouse,” Schwank said. “I am not expecting hemp to be used commercially for many years, but this pilot program gets Pennsylvania’s foot in the door, and opens the possibilities for future generations of farmers.”
Senate Bill 50 has yet to garner a negative vote. The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, of which Schwank is the Democratic chair, voted 11-0 in favor of the bill this past October.
The legislation moves to the House now for consideration.
“Hemp would allow Pennsylvania to be on the same playing field with states that have already passed some form of hemp legislation,” Schwank said. The soil and climate here in PA is perfect for growing hemp and hemp got its start in PA. We have townships such as Hempfield Township in Lancaster that were named after the crop and its viability in the area.
“I don’t think there are arguments against hemp; I look at it more as a misunderstanding.”
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Follow Sen. Schwank on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
October 27, 2015
HARRISBURG, Oct. 27, 2015 – Without opposition, state Sen. Judy Schwank’s proposal to once again make industrial hemp a legal cash crop in Pennsylvania moved out of committee and to the Senate floor today.
The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, of which Schwank is the Democratic chair, voted 11-0 in support of the Berks County lawmaker’s Senate Bill 50.
“Industrial hemp is another crop they can use as something new or something they can use as ground cover or to prevent erosion if their fields are fallow or if flooding affects them,” Schwank said following the committee’s vote today. “We hope that, once we get this started, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania can become a powerhouse in the growth of hemp for all kinds of uses.”
SB 50 would allow the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp as part of a research program at a college or university – in accordance with federal law – under the regulation of a five-member Industrial Hemp Licensing Board that would be established within the Department of Agriculture.
Industrial hemp would also be recognized in Pennsylvania as an oilseed.
“Industrial hemp is not marijuana, and it’s not medical marijuana,” Schwank said. “It’s an age-old plant that has benefitted farmers and consumers for thousands of years, and it holds the promise of helping Pennsylvania farmers in significant ways, once again.”
Sen. Schwank said there are some 50,000 ways industrial hemp can be used, including in textiles, building materials, industrial products, food, paper, and environmental products.
“This is a multi-million dollar industry in the U.S. and there is great demand for these products,” Schwank said. “There are so many opportunities for this, and we’re losing out by not being able to grow it.”
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Follow Sen. Schwank on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
March 10, 2015
READING, March 10, 2015 – Sen. Judy Schwank will join Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, Sen. Mike Folmer and others at 6:30 p.m., tomorrow, Wednesday, during a town hall meeting dealing with proposals to allow medical cannabis and industrial hemp in Pennsylvania.
Sen. Schwank is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 50, which would allow the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp as part of a research program at a college or university – in accordance with federal law – under the regulation of an Industrial Hemp Licensing Board.
Senate Bill 3, of which Schwank is a sponsor, would allow the use of medical cannabis.
Media coverage is invited.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank to participate in town hall meeting on industrial hemp and medical cannabis
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 11
WHERE: Leedy Theatre, Mund College Center, Lebanon Valley College, Annville.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
February 12, 2015
READING, Feb. 12, 2015 – Pennsylvania farmers would be able to grow a new cash crop and participate in a wide range of manufacturing opportunities if a bill that Sens. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) formally introduced today.
Senate Bill 50 would re-establish the industrial hemp industry in Pennsylvania.
“From paper to fuel, clothing to biodegradable plastics, the return of industrial hemp would give Pennsylvania’s farmers the opportunity to grow an in-demand crop that benefits tens of millions of people all over the world,” Schwank, the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, said.
“Sen. Folmer and I are planning to fervently work to return industrial hemp to Pennsylvania’s menu of growing options,” she said.
The federal 1937 Marijuana Tax Act restricted industrial hemp production. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act declared hemp to be illegal.
The 2014 Farm Bill loosened restrictions on the production of industrial hemp.
“Industrial hemp does not have a psychoactive effect; the THC level is less than 0.03 percent,” Sen. Folmer said. “Misconceptions are withholding Pennsylvania from an opportunity for our agricultural and business industries to thrive.
“Twelve other states are already ahead of Pennsylvania in this industry. We are long overdue on utilizing the prospects that the Farm Bill of 2014 has offered to us as a state.”
Folmer is planning to hold a town hall meeting March 11 in Annville to discuss this industrial hemp proposal as well as legislation (Senate Bill 3) that would allow the use of medical cannabis.
Under Senate Bill 50, the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp would be allowed in Pennsylvania as part of a research program at a college or university – in accordance with federal law – under the regulation of a five-member Industrial Hemp Licensing Board that would be established within the Department of Agriculture.
Industrial hemp would also be recognized in Pennsylvania as an oilseed.
Should the U.S. government act to once again regulate industrial hemp, Pennsylvania’s Industrial Hemp Act would 60 days after the enactment of that federal statute.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
January 8, 2015
HARRISBURG, Jan. 8, 2015 – To help Pennsylvania farmers tap into the multi-million dollar hemp industry, state Sens. Judy Schwank (D-11) and Mike Folmer (R-48) will hold a media briefing at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show to talk about legislation that would finally give them that opportunity.
Schwank and Folmer will introduce Senate Bill 50 which, if adopted into law, would create the “Industrial Hemp Act.”
“The 2014 federal Farm Bill authorizes pilot programs for industrial hemp, and SB 50 provides oversight for growing, harvesting and marketing a traditional commonwealth crop while providing new opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers,” Schwank said.
Industrial hemp has been used for thousands of years in numerous applications and, until the last century, was commonly grown in Pennsylvania. Today, an estimated 50,000 potential applications exist for hemp’s use across a wide spectrum of industries, including textiles, building materials, industrial products, paper and energy and environmental products.
“The use of industrial hemp provides a multitude of benefits,” Folmer said. “The best farmland preservation is allowing farmers to farm their land profitably. Hemp is also a crop that helps the environment. Consumers will benefit from the many uses of hemp.”
In 2012, the Hemp Industries Association valued the U.S. hemp industry at an estimated $500 million. Sustainable hemp seed, fiber and oil are used in raw materials today by major companies, including Ford Motor Company and Mercedes Benz. Industrial hemp is imported into the United States from Canada, Europe and China.
Media coverage is invited.
WHAT: Sens. Judy Schwank and Mike Folmer media briefing on SB 50, the “Industrial Hemp Act”
WHEN: 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10
WHERE: Delaware Room, Keystone Conference Center, Pennsylvania Farm Show, Harrisburg
