— by Tom Banse, from NW News Network and Crosscut.com

Industrial hemp has taken a step closer to joining its recreational cousin in legal status in Olympia  [on Feb.4, 2015].

KUOW reports that the state Senate unanimously approved cultivation of the crop, which yields fiber, oil and seeds that serve a variety of use.

The pending legislation would not require farmers to get a permit to grow hemp, though, as with the female cannabis plants that produces marijuana, cultivation of any hemp is forbidden under federal law.

To read the full article and related articles, go to nwnewsnetwork.org/post/washington-senate-votes-legalize-hemp-farming