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Trenton Article

Promise of hemp tied up in knots

On the last day of the previous legislative session, the Legislature approved a bill that would have established a hemp cultivation license in the state of New Jersey. It was promptly vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie. The bill would have had a big impact on businesses like mine, and could have allowed us to bring more jobs into the state. We’re currently one of the only industrialized countries in the world that doesn’t allow hemp to be farmed. That’s why the bill passed so easily: 38-0 in the Senate and 65-8 in the Assembly.

New Jersey residents and sustainability advocates had many reasons to be excited about the bill. But those in the agricultural industry like myself understand just how beneficial and revolutionary the bill could have been for our industry and the economy as a whole.

Terra Tech, the New Jersey-based agricultural company I run, has 100 acres in New Jersey, which we hoped to turn into a hemp field. These 100 acres of industrial hemp would be able to produce a wide array of products, ranging from cloth to food to biodegradable plastic, creating more jobs and more wealth for the state as a whole and spurring ancillary businesses, such as manufacturers and additional retailers. Hemp suits our mission, because it is sustainable to grow and environmentally friendly, and it poses no risk to our communities.

By not allowing us to grow this crop, the laws and regulations make it impossible for us to participate, let alone compete, in this industry. As a business owner who needed the governor to put our residents and economy before politics, I’m disappointed.

-- Derek Peterson,
Belvidere
The writer is CEO of Terra Tech Corp., which owns Edible Gardens


http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2014/01/times_of_trenton_letters_to_th_899.html