Oregon to allow farmers to grow hemp

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon is on the verge of becoming the first Western state to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp.

Dena Purich, who owns a hemp clothing business, is excited about the possibility that the supply chain is one step closer to her Eugene-based Earthbound Creations.

Purich and her two employees design and assemble men's sports shirts, women's skirts and other garments from hemp that's grown in China.

Enthusiasm for the product also was evident at a three-day Emerald Empire Hempfest, which wrapped up Sunday in Eugene.

A spokesman for Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he plans to sign Oregon's new hemp bill into law.

Oregon will then become the seventh state to allow farmers to grow hemp, even though the federal government says it's still an illegal crop.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com