Chris Disbro of Iowa Hemp Association with Governor Kim Reynolds at the signing of the Iowa hemp bill
The bill allows licensed Iowa farmers to grow the crop on up to 40 acres. First, however, the Iowa Department of Agriculture must develop a plan and submit it to the USDA for approval.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill loosened federal restrictions on hemp production, most states have either legalized hemp production or are licensing farmers to grow it it under a 2014 law that allows limited commercial production and research plots.
Vote Hemp has sponsored legislation and provided support for efforts to legalize the crop there. Special thanks goes out to Chris Disbro of the Iowa Hemp Association and Meghan Malloy of Heartland Strategies for their hard work to see this legislation enacted.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture will likely begin accepting applications in time for the 2020 growing season.