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Ohio lawmakers vote to allow growing hemp, selling CBD oil

Hemp farmer Franny Tacy packs earth around a hemp plant at Franny's Farm in Leicester, N.C. in May.Angela Wilhelm/The Asheville Citizen-Times via Associated Press/The Asheville Citizen-Times via AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Republican-led Legislature has passed a measure that would allow Ohio farmers and university researchers to grow industrial hemp and would legalize sales of hemp-derived cannabidiol oil, or CBD.

Federal legislation last year removed hemp from the list of federally controlled substances and now treats the low-THC version of the cannabis plant like other agricultural crops. But existing Ohio law doesn’t differentiate between marijuana and hemp.

The newly passed Ohio legislation would allow for cultivation of hemp as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent THC, the cannabis compound that gives marijuana its high. It would be regulated by the state.

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The measure was sent to Republican Governor Mike DeWine for consideration. It would take effect immediately if he signs it.