There were no parades, press conferences, or signing ceremonies, but on May 29th 2009, Vermont joined North Dakota in legalizing the production of industrial hemp. The bill, which became law despite Governor Jim Douglas' refusal to sign, passed the Vermont House 126-9, and the Senate 25-1.
Although industrial hemp and hemp product manufacture has been legalized by North Dakota and Vermont, production of any form of hemp is currently fobbiden by the federal government's draconian "war on drugs" laws. North Dakota farmers who wish to produce industrial hemp are currently pursuing relief from the federal government's insane anti-cannabis laws in the federal courts, and may soon be joined by Vermont's agricultural producers.
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In England, a house built from panels of hemp and straw recently passed an industry standard fire safety test which exposed it to temperatures above 1,000C.
The experimental house is part of a new research project looking into sustainable building materials that can be used for home construction.
The house is made from prefabricated cells filled with straw or hemp, covered with a lime-based coating.
During a fire resistance test for non-loadbearing elements, the panel had to withstand heat for more than 30 minutes. After more than two hours it had still not failed. Another panel, which had been put through structural tests for loadbearing elements, also passed.
The building will be monitored for the next year. Insulating properties, humidity levels, air tightness and sound insulation qualities will be recorded to assess the performance of straw and hemp as building materials.