Growers and producers promote hemp at the Nebraska Legislature hearing

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska) — The Nebraska Legislature’s Agriculture Committee held a pair of hearings related to hemp on Tuesday.

A specific bill, LB 263, would align state regulations with current federal law.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska hemp farmers could see reduced regulations

There were several supporters and a couple of neutral witnesses during the hearing. There was no one speaking in opposition.

Backers included the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, which asked the commission to introduce the bill; the Nebraska Farmers Union; and those in the hemp business.

Hemp producers and processors spoke about the uses of hemp as well as its environmental benefits.

Jacob Bish, a founding member of Global Fiber Processing, said his company has partnered with the University of Nebraska to develop a hemp-based concrete block.

Due to the nature of hemp, the block is carbon negative, meaning it absorbs more carbon from the environment than it emits.

It is also a great insulator and is resistant to flame, water and pests.

The bill’s goal is to entice farmers to grow hemp and producers to set up shop in Nebraska.

“Once you have producers who want to produce with it, that requires growers and then they can allow in a processing facility to facilitate that,” Bish said.

Tags: Agriculture, Agriculture Committee, carbon, carbon negative, cinder block, environment, global fiber processing, hearings, Hemp, hemp bill, insulation, jacob bish, Nebraska, LB 263, Legislature, Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Legislature, news, unicameral

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