Hemp Politics are in Utah’s news this week. A bill that would allow children with epilepsy to access a hemp oil extract that is both non-intoxicating and seizure-stopping, cleared its first hurdle at the Utah Legislature on Friday. Hemp_leaves

Although the oil has not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration, the House Law Enforcement Committee voted 8-2 to recommend a bill that would allow cannabis extract in Utah for seizure treatment.

Rep. Paul Ray stated, “…this is a bad position for the Legislature to be in, to overrule doctors and people more qualified than we are.” However, with studies showing the oil’s ability to eliminate seizures in children who have found no results with other remedies, the committee decided it would be wrong to deny them the treatment because of what could happen in the long term.

The bill would give Utahns with neurological disorders authorization to purchase “hemp extract” without the risk of prosecution.

The bill would also give universities the legal right to petition the Department of Agriculture to allow the growing of industrial hemp for research purposes, similarly to the farm bill that was recently approved by Congress.

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