cannabisnews.com: Sen. Mitch McConnell Pushes Bill To Legalize Hemp
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Sen. Mitch McConnell Pushes Bill To Legalize Hemp
Posted by CN Staff on March 26, 2018 at 10:21:20 PT
By Tom Angell
Source: Forbes
Washington, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Senate announced on Monday that he will soon be filing a bill to legalize industrial hemp and allocate federal money for cultivation of the crop."We all are so optimistic that industrial hemp can become sometime in the future what tobacco was in Kentucky's past," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said at a press conference alongside the state's agriculture commissioner.
"I will be introducing when I go back to senate a week from today," he said, legislation to "finally legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances."McConnell has already successfully attached language to broader legislation, such as the 2014 Farm Bill and annual spending packages, that shields state industrial hemp research programs from federal interference.But confusion over what counts as research as well as issues related to the interstate transportation of hemp seeds has caused confusion as the Drug Enforcement Administration has in some cases sought to enforce federal laws that do not distinguish between hemp and marijuana.A press release from McConnell's office said the new bill will not only reclassify hemp under federal law, but "will also give hemp researchers the chance to apply for competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – allowing them to continue their impressive work with the support of federal research dollars."At the event, McConnell said that "some challenges remain today between the federal government and farmers and producers in Kentucky," arguing that his new bipartisan legislation would "remove the roadblocks altogether" by "recognizing in federal statute the difference between hemp and its illicit cousin."He added that he would soon be discussing the issue with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an longtime vocal opponent of cannabis law reform who this year rescinded Obama-era guidance that has generally allowed state to implement their own marijuana legalization laws without federal interference.In federal spending legislation enacted last week, Congress extended a policy rider that prevents the Justice Department from interfering with state medical cannabis laws. The bill also extends two provisions that protect state industrial hemp research programs.Hemp can be used to make food, clothing and many other consumer goods.McConnell, in the Monday speech, spoke about "interesting and innovative products" that are "made with Kentucky-grown hemp," such as home insulation."That's just one of many uses Kentuckians are finding for this versatile crop," he said.While hemp products are legal to sell in the U.S., its cultivation is banned outside of the limited exemption for state research programs, so manufacturers must in many cases import the raw materials from other countries that do no prohibit hemp farming.McConnell was an original cosponsor of a standalone industrial hemp bill during the 114th Congress, but it did not receive a hearing or a vote. Last year he signed onto a nonbinding resolution approved by the Senate in recognition of Hemp History week."Industrial hemp holds great potential to bolster the agricultural economy of the United States," the measure declared.Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) will be an original cosponsor of the new bill to be introduced next month, along with a bipartisan group of other senators.Tom Angell publishes Marijuana Moment news and founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority.Source: Forbes Magazine (US)Author: Tom Angell, ContributorPublished: March 26, 2018Copyright: 2018 Forbes Inc.Contact: readers forbes.comWebsite: http://www.forbes.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/h6y4Ih5xCannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by The GCW on March 26, 2018 at 21:22:16 PT
Reflect
What was it around the year 2000 -could look it up...Their was a contingent attempting to wipe hemp products out of the U.S.; soap, shirts, foods etc... f'ing paper products...It took great effort to stop that insidious backwardness and We succeeded through what was it the 9th or 6th Circuit Court in San Fran???Fools didn't want anyone smoking their soap or hemp seeds!!!We WON. We're STILL WINNING. And We're KEEPIN' ON.Now the Ignoids are waking up.Hemp with out THC should not be equated with heroin. (Schedule I Substance...kidding, right°·‡‹€⁄›)HELLO!If anybody's home;there is a big difference.They are NOT equal.Knock, knock.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on March 26, 2018 at 15:15:28 PT
Hope
I think even Republicans know it is time to get on board or be left in the dust.
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Comment #5 posted by hope on March 26, 2018 at 14:03:08 PT
  FoM
I, too, would be glad to see that. The birds of the field would be glad. I hope he's at least as politically powerful at getting things done as he is at slowing things down.This could be interesting.Somebody might be going to have to do some truth-telling and 'fessing up. After all these years. Nah. Probably not. 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 26, 2018 at 13:05:37 PT
Hope
I am hoping they remove Hemp from the controlled substance act. 
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on March 26, 2018 at 11:06:19 PT
Thunder...
on the mountainhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RPkJeziNyI
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on March 26, 2018 at 11:01:37 PT
Thunder on the mountain! Run boys, run!
"He added that he would soon be discussing the issue with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an longtime vocal opponent of cannabis law reform who this year rescinded Obama-era guidance that has generally allowed state to implement their own marijuana legalization laws without federal interference."
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on March 26, 2018 at 10:46:17 PT
What?
I must be dreamin'
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