Officials with the Oregon Department of Agriculture are drafting rules that could allow for the industrial production of hemp by next spring, according to a reportin the Oregonian newspaper (Portland, Ore.). Although industrial hemp comes from a non-intoxicating relative of the marijuana plant, the state has been hesitant to enact a 2009 law permitting production in Oregon due to concerns over possible conflict with federal law. Those concerns, however, have largely evaporated due to the federal government’s stance that it will not fight voter-approved laws in Washington and Colorado permitting the production of marijuana in specified circumstances. At least one Oregon farmer sees potential in hemp as a viable crop.