Nevada County’s ban on industrial hemp is now permanent, at least for the forseeable future. The Board of Supervisors had approved temporary bans over the last couple of years. But with the last legally-allowed temporary ban scheduled to expire in late February, the Board has now codified it with an ordinance. Supervisors have sympathized with concerns from the county’s Cannabis Alliance. The group’s executive director, Diana Gamzon, told the Board there’s still a lack of government regulations and there’s a concern of hemp cross-pollinating with cannabis, since they’re derivatives of the same plant…

And since both plants look alike there could be law enforcement challenges. Supervisor Ed Scofield agrees that allowing hemp cultivation before there are clear regulations would interfere with the county’s ability to oversee land use, may create a public nuisance, and threaten existing agriculture…

The major difference between hemp and marijuana is that hemp contains a much smaller percentage of THC, the chemical that gets people high.