An Act to Allow Experimentation in the Cultivation of Agricultural Hemp
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0053
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: BULL, BRYANT, COWGER, FISCHER, HUTTON, KOFFMAN, LUNDEEN, PINEAU, THOMPSON, HALL
Amends: 17-A MRSA §1101

Legislative Document 
No. 53 
H.P.61 
House of Representatives, January 16,2003 
An Act to Allow Experimentation in the Cultivation of Agricultural 
Hemp 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BULL of Freeport. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRYANT of Oxford and 
l7/~frl.~ 
Mll.LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: COWGER of Hallowell, FISCHER of Presque Isle, HUTTON of 
Bowdoinham, KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, PINEAU of Jay, 
THOMPSON of China, Senator: HALL of Lincoln. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1101, sub-§I, as amended by PL 1975, c. 
740, §96, is further amended to read: 
1. 
"Marijuana" 
includes 
the 
leaves, 
stems, 
flowers 
and 
seeds of all species of the plant genus cannabis, whether growing 
or notfL 
but shall ~ 
not include the resin extracted from any 
part of such plant aBa-every or any compound, manufacture, salt, 
derivative, mixture or preparation from such resinL 
including 
hashishL 
and further, shall ~ 
not include the mature stalks of 
such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made 
from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, 
salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of such mature stalks, 
fiber, oil or cake or the sterilized seed of such plant wRieR 
that is incapable of germination. 
"Marijuana" does not include 
industrial hemp as defined in subsection 22. 
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §1101, sub-§22 is enacted to read: 
22. 
"Industrial hemp" means any variety of Cannabis sativa 
L. with a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does 
not exceed 0.3% on a dry weight basis and that is grown under a 
federal permit in compliance with the conditions of that permit. 
Sec. 3. Authorization for Maine Agricultural Experiment Station to 
study cultivation of industrial hemp. 
The Director of 
the 
Maine 
Agricultural Experiment Station may develop a study to explore 
the feasibility and desirability of industrial hemp production in 
this State. 
The study may include an analysis of required soils 
and 
growing 
conditions, 
seed 
availability 
and 
varieties, 
including in-the-ground seed variety trials, harvest methods, 
market 
economies 
and 
environmental 
benefits. 
Prior 
to 
undertaking 
a 
study, 
the director, 
in consultation with the 
Commissioner of Agriculture, 
Food 
and Rural 
Resources, 
shall 
obtain all federal permits needed to legally grow industrial hemp 
for fiber or seed production prior to importing any nonsterilized 
industrial hemp seeds capable of germination into the State. 
SUMMARY 
This bill defines "industrial hemp." 
It authorizes, 
but 
does 
not 
require, 
the 
Director 
of 
the 
Maine 
Agricultural 
Experiment Station to obtain the appropriate federal permits to 
study the feasibility of growing industrial hemp. 
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