McConnell to introduce bill to nationally legalize hemp - Entrepreneur Generations

Vote Hemp map; click the image to enlarge it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced yesterday that he will introduce legislation to legalize it as an agricultural product, remove it from the federal list of controlled substances, and shift regulatory authority mostly to states. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018, co-sponsored by Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), would also allow hemp researchers to apply for grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Congressman James Comer (R-Ky.) is sponsoring a companion bill in the House, WKYT-TV reports.

"There was a lot of discussion about what is this? Is this the same as the illicit cousin? I think we've moved past that and most members of Senate understand that these are two very different plants," McConnell said yesterday at the U.S. Hemp Roundtable in Frankfort, where he and state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced the bill.

McConnell has long been a cautious supporter of hemp, clearing the way in 2014 for the federal Farm Bill's passage, which allowed state agriculture departments to research and develop hemp project. That led to an industrial hemp pilot program in Kentucky that helped put the state at the forefront of hemp's comeback. So far 34 states have authorized hemp research and 19 states have production programs, Bruce Schreiner reports for The Associated Press. Kentucky planted 3,100 acres of hemp in 2017, the third-most in any state. Oregon was in second with 3,469 acres and Colorado won out with 9,700 acres, according to Vote Hemp. Hemp production overall is booming, with 25,541 acres in 2017, more than double 2016's 9,770 acres.

McConnell's efforts to increase hemp production may be an early indicator that he will seek reelection in 2020; the move will likely appeal to home state tobacco farmers looking for a new way to make a living. "In interviews last week, several GOP senators said privately that they believe McConnell is far more likely than not to run again," Burgess Everett reports for Politico. As the majority leader and a member of the Agriculture Committee, McConnell is well-placed to help the bill pass. Congress must pass a farm bill by the end of September, and McConnell's hemp proposal could be included.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2unrVT4 McConnell to introduce bill to nationally legalize hemp - Entrepreneur Generations

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