Massachusetts Senate Advances Resolution to Study Including Hemp and Marijuana in State’s Definition of Agriculture

Senate Bill 2806, which replaces earlier legislation filed as Senate Bill 70, authorizes the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries to conduct an investigation and study on the issue. The measure was reported favorably by the committee on Monday and has since been discharged to the Senate Committee on Rules. The resolution does not immediately change state law. Instead, it directs lawmakers to examine how hemp and marijuana cultivation fit within existing agricultural frameworks, including how they are treated relative to other crops under state statutes, regulations, and policies. Supporters have argued that despite the legalization of marijuana and the federal authorization of hemp, both crops continue to exist in a gray area when it comes to agricultural classification, potentially affecting access to programs, resources, and protections available to traditional farmers.

According to the legislative text, the study would focus on Senate Bill 70, which proposed explicitly recognizing hemp and marijuana cultivation as agricultural activities under Massachusetts law. That proposal was accompanied by petitions filed by State Senator Jacob R. Oliveira and reviewed by the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee during the current legislative session.

If the study moves forward, it could lay the groundwork for future legislation that formally integrates marijuana and hemp into the state’s agricultural code, a shift that advocates say would reflect the economic and operational realities of the industries. The outcome of the study could influence how Massachusetts approaches land use, farming support, and regulatory treatment for licensed cultivators in the years ahead.