Hemp legalized
For years, hemp, which is in the cannabis family but has little to none of the psychoactive chemicals found in marijuana, had been classified as a Schedule 1 drug, seen legally in the same light as heroin.
The Farm Bill reclassifies hemp as a Schedule 5 drug, so the plants and derivative products are now akin to cough medications like Robitussin.
The measure, called the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, essentially legalizes products made from hemp that contain CBD oils, so long as they contain less than 0.3% THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana.
The hemp provision was the top priority of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who wanted to open the market to help hemp farmers and processing facilities in Kentucky.
The billion farm bill also gives states the opportunity to regulate hemp production, allow hemp researchers to apply for federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and make hemp eligible for crop insurance.