Hemp, once a strictly controlled substance in the US, was finally legalized in several American states by 2018. The State of Indiana has conducive laws allowing for the production of hemp. But, what do you know about Indianan hemp laws? In 2019, the federal court of appeal overturned a lower court ruling that criminalized the smoking of hemp in Indiana. Last year (2019), Indiana lawmakers attempted to enact laws allowing for commercial hemp production. Meanwhile, smokable hemp was banned. If you were caught in possession of, or manufacturing, or delivering smokable hemp, it would be considered to be a serious misdemeanor under Indiana State laws.
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Indiana Hemp Laws and the 2018 Farm Bill
In the early days, Indiana authorities argued that if smokable hemp was legalized in the state, it would conflict with the enforcement of Indiana marijuana laws since the two substances have similar chemistry.
However, the fact is that marijuana differs from hemp in so many ways. For example, while hemp has very low levels of THC, marijuana’s relatively high THC concentration is what makes the substance psychoactive and therefore considered by some to be dangerous.
Hemp is a wealthy source of cannabidiol (CBD). It’s also used to make protein powder, hemp oil, hemp milk, and clothing. Following the introduction of the 2018 Farm Bill, an association of Indianan hemp dealers went to court and requested that Indiana the hemp ban be reversed. They argued that hemp is a valuable agricultural commodity. Accordingly, a district court judge was forced to grant the injunction.
However, the U.S appeals court for the Seventh Circuit was of the view that the 2018 Farm Bill could only override state laws that had something to do with the interstate transport of hemp products. It was also suggested that the Farm Bill gives US states the right to adopt strict rules related to the abuse of industrial hemp.
Legal tussles continued to impact both the production and use of hemp in Indiana. A federal court of appeal also ruled that the Indiana hemp law had to be taken back to the district court for further re-examinations. In the court’s view, it upheld the State of Indiana’s smokable hemp restrictions.
Is Hemp CBD Legal in Indiana?
Hemp-sourced CBD was made legal in the State of Indiana in March 2018. Consumers in the region can use CBD products as long as they don’t contain over 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The growth of hemp for research work was legalized in Indiana in 2014. Since the 2018 Farm was passed, Indianan authorities have been drafting regulations on how to issue licenses to the state’s hemp producers. With that being said, cannabis-derived CBD remains illegal.
Conclusion
Researchers have linked CBD to a number of health applications. It’s thought that CBD has anti-anxiety, anti-depression, and anti-inflammatory effects among other therapeutic benefits. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that cannabidiol can be used to manage chronic pain, seizure disorders, and many more health conditions. However, before you use hemp in Indiana, be sure to check the local laws to avoid getting yourself in trouble.
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