The Path Forward for Industrial Hemp in Indian Country

Law360, New York (January 5, 2017, 4:04 PM EST) -- On Oct. 24, 2016, Reuters and Forbes reported that the Navajo Nation, whose reservation is the largest by square miles in the United States, was in the final stages of partnering with CannaNative to grow industrial hemp on portions of its 70,000 acre farmland. The announcement made headlines throughout Indian Country and the hemp agricultural community — especially because of the obstacles facing the Navajo Nation. Not only is industrial hemp not yet legal in New Mexico, the state in which the Navajo Nation’s farmland is found, but the tribe had yet to formally legalize hemp production on the reservation. Unsurprisingly, just days after the initial announcement, Navajo Nation officials clarified that the hemp-growing plans were far from final.