Nevada County Makes Hemp Ban Permanent

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors has permanently banned industrial hemp cultivation. A moratorium that was passed in April 2019 has now been made permanent.

“It may be something that we’re going to want to look at and study,“ said Supervisor Ed Scofield. "If we really have a strong interest in hemp then we can look at it again, but at this time I think we still have a long way to go with our cannabis industry.”

The county must “define our own cannabis industry better before we start going into another area,” he added.

Before the vote, supervisors heard from a number of cannabis growers who fear hemp growing could interfere with their crops. Cross-pollination is a major concern when hemp and a cannabis are grown in close proximity. Experts typically recommend a 10-mile buffer but research suggests pollen can travel even further.