Wisconsin, tribe reach settlement in hemp lawsuit

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A northern Wisconsin tribe has reached a settlement with the state’s attorney general over its plans to grow hemp.

Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin filed a federal lawsuit in February against state Attorney General Brad Schimel contesting Schimel’s objections to the tribe’s plans for processing hemp.

The St. Croix tribal attorney Jeff Cormell says the parties reached an agreement allowing the tribe to oversee hemp production and produce cannabidiol, or CBD oil, on reservation lands. The tribe also agreed to notify the state if there were any changes made to its ordinance.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a purified form of CBD last month to treat seizures associated with severe forms of epilepsy.

A Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesman didn’t return a request for comment by the newspaper on the settlement.