Arizona Governor Ducey signed a bill that will fund a pilot program to grow industrial hemp. Senate Bill 1097 will supply the Arizona Department of Agriculture with funds for a special program in which special facilities and universities will be growing industrial hemp. While hemp, like marijuana, is a form of cannabis, the hemp for this program will only have low levels of THC (below .3%), which is what makes marijuana psychoactive. The hemp grown in Arizona will be used for non-psychoactive purposes like making paper, food, textiles, and building materials.

According to the governor’s office, in order to grow, harvest, process, or transport the hemp, a license must be obtained. There are penalties written into the bill that will punish anyone who attempts to work with industrial hemp without a license or misuses their license.

Arizona joins 34 other states that have recently passed industrial hemp legislation. The governor hopes that it will help Arizona’s economy.