Noem Encourages Legislators to Table Industrial Hemp Discussions

Pat Powers

Noem Encourages Legislators to Table Industrial Hemp Discussions

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem today asked the South Dakota legislature to table discussions on legalizing industrial hemp this legislative session.

“South Dakota is not ready for industrial hemp production,” said Noem. “There are still questions about the impact on public safety, enforcement, and costs to the taxpayers. We need to see federal guidelines when they are issued and then decide if this commodity is as promising as they say it will be.”

In December 2018, then-Congresswoman Noem voted in favor of the 2018 Farm Bill, a small section of which loosened regulations on industrial hemp. The crop is not currently authorized for growth in South Dakota under any state or federal program. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Governor Noem have discouraged producers from making plans to grow industrial hemp in the 2019 growing season.

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21 thoughts on “Noem Encourages Legislators to Table Industrial Hemp Discussions”

  1. Governor Noem apparently defends a woman’s God-given right to carry a concealed, unregistered handgun in her purse without government harassment … unless the purse is made from reasonably-priced industrial hemp. In that case, Nanny Noem must intervene.

    I’m not suggesting the right to an affordable hemp purse is as important as the right to bear arms, but I really don’t see how Noem can possibly defend her wildly inconsistent views from attacks by the left.

  4. Nice to have a Governor involved in the legislative process providing leadership. Previously we heard a lot of “I’m not going to comment on pending legislation” but at the same time have the capitol halls crawling with Governor/state lobbyists.

  6. Nick or as some know as “Grudznick” and I were talking about this subject while enjoying breakfast last weekend. We must proceed with caution and not end up like Colorado.

  7. Why do we need the feds? Minnesota is moving forward with their pilot program. There is no public safety concern and full legalization is only a matter of time. We can either be a leader and a pioneer or we can sit around and watch the money go to other states.

  8. Koch Brothers contribute heavily to Governor Noem and also own this lineup of textiles, in direct competition with hemp.
    Paper Products: Angelsoft, Brawny, Dixie, Mardi Gras, Quilted Northern, Soft n Gentle, Sparkle, Vanity Fair. Wood: Georgia-Pacific (largest plywood manufacturer in US – also owns most of the paper companies above).

    *Grudznick is the son of the late lobbyist Jeremiah D. Murphy.

    1. Not the Grudznick we know from our Conservatives with Common Sense breakfast meeting. He is much older, wiser and in a wheel chair often mentioning how the demon weed has made his friends Bob, Lar and now Mr. Lansing insaner than most.

      1. Young Jeremiah Murphy Jr. As your Dad would have said, “You really stepped in it this time, boy.” You’re going to lose all your clients because of a stupid joke. Stace Nelson is going to pound you!

  10. Noem is getting rightfully hammered about this on social media. Remember Kristi, you only won by a few percentage points and you had to bring in the heavy artillery to do that. There are a lot of people not on your side and you have 4 years, don’t expend all that political capital right away.

  11. So she discourages producers from getting ahead of themselves, and advises against investors sinking a lot of money into something that might not happen. Because didn’t the Flandreau Santee Sioux lose a bundle of money on that?
    How much did that operation cost to develop? It was reported that the crop they burned was worth millions of dollars.

    I can’t imagine why she is advising people to slow down.

    1. This reminds me of a friend of mine who got suckered into growing Jerusalem artichokes back in the 80s. He was led to believe that the crop was going to be in high demand for…something. Glucose production, I believe. Ended up having nobody to sell them to.

    2. The Flandreau tribe grew pot, not hemp. Which is legal for tribes but Jackley came in and threatened them and pressed charges against the guy from Colorado, who beat the charges.

      1. It doesn’t matter if you are growing marijuana, hemp, or Jerusalem artichokes.
        If you can’t sell the crop, you lose your investment.
        Telling farmers to plant hemp when there is nobody to purchase and process it is stupid.

        1. Anne, understanding that you probably don’t want to be informed on this subject, I am running the risk of wasting my time by Googling “hemp purchasers” and seeing thousands and thousands of responses.

          Here is one of the many credible articles that can help inform you:
          https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fiber/industrial-hemp

          This entire situation proves once again that South Dakota remains backward and basically a welfare state, run by special interests. All while being cheered on by you and your fellow Luddites.

          Nice work.

        3. Government refusing to allow the planting of hemp because farmers might not be able to make a profit growing it is concern trolling of the most intrusive kind. We have a capitalist economic system, farmers who will be investing their own capital are the only people who should have a say in what those farmers plant.

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