This really should be titled "Why WERE Black Currants Banned in the USA". They are no longer banned in the majority of states as the article itself says. I can buy them at the farmers market in Wisconsin when in season and my garden store sells bushes of multiple varieties of currants.
And just across the lake here in Michigan I cannot grow without permit, and am only allowed a few varieties that are known to be resistant to WPBR. I may try to grow some next season, if I can get seeds _and_ a permit.
The article says: "Therefore, some states start reversing the federal ban on this berry" and goes on to say "Today, these plants are successfully grown in New York, Connecticut, Oregon, and Vermont." which would explain why I've been growing black currants in Oregon for the last 15 years or so, I guess.
