SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has vetoed a bill that would have created a research program for the industrial production of hemp.
The second-term Republican governor vetoed the Democrat-sponsored measure Wednesday without comment.
It would have required the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to set up an industrial hemp research program for cultivation and marketing.
A more restrictive bill from Democratic Sen. Cisco McSorley of Albuquerque is on its way to the governor's desk. McSorley says it addresses concerns raised by the Martinez two years ago about potential conflicts with federal law and provides for police training.
Thirty-one states have authorized hemp research. The crop is prized for its oils, seeds and fiber.
The 2014 federal farm bill allows state agriculture departments to designate hemp projects for research and development.