WASHINGTONThe nearly 1,000-page farm bill approved by Congress includes a provision that authorizes hemp cultivation for research purposes, according to the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA).
The hemp research would apply to higher education institutions and State departments of agriculture in states where hemp cultivation is legal, AHPA pointed out.
AHPA cited current federal restrictions against the cultivation of hemp in the United States.
President Obama is expected to sign the farm bill after the U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved the nearly $1 trillion package governing such areas as agriculture, conservation and nutrition. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said last month direct spending authorized by programs under the legislation would total $956 billion over 10 years, with nutrition programs eating up $756 billion.