ALBANY – Governor Cuomo has signed into law a measure to establish regulatory framework for hemp extract production, processing, and commerce in the state, updating the hemp permitting process and regulating the extract industry through production standards, testing, and labeling, creating needed industry certainty while also protecting consumers.
Senator Jennifer Metzger (D, Rosendale) sponsored the measure along with Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D, Binghamton).
Hemp growing and production is an emerging industry in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
“The hemp bill aligns well with our mission to build replicable, ethical, and sustainable practices in agriculture that significantly support the local economy and ecosystem of the Hudson Valley,” said Gail Hepworth, CEO of Hempire State Growers, a farmer-focused cooperative in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The new law “will provide a framework to allow farmers to actively contribute to and benefit from the development and expansion of the hemp industry and help establish the Hudson Valley as a world class CBD region,” she said. “Considering the uncertain federal regulatory environment, it’s critical that New York takes leadership on this issue.”
