With the goal of being among the first states to grow industrial hemp, a bill to that end easily passed a legislative committee today.
Sponsored by Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville and supported by Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, Senate Bill 50 passed the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee, with only one vote against it; that from Republican Tommy Turner.
The idea is that if Kentucky gets in early it'll be positioned to produce a potentially significant number of jobs, including farmers, processing plants and transporting the product.
Democrat Speaker Greg Stumbo has yet to agree to allowing the bill to be put to a floor vote.
About the only opposition is coming from Kentucky law enforcement, which has concerns over the similarity in look of industrial hemp and marijuana.
While hemp looks like marijuana, it has very little THC in it - 0.3 percent - which is the active ingredient in marijuana that produces the high. Marijuana has anywhere from 3 percent to 15 percent THC in it.
Hemp growers would be required to obtain an annual license and get a background check by the Agriculture Department. Buyers of hemp would have to be provided by growers, who would also have to keep sales contract records for three years. Anyone transporting hemp would also be regulated.
On the federal level, U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul had introduced legislation that would make a distinction between hemp and marijuana. That's so an existing Kentucky law which says the hemp policy of Kentucky should be the same as that of the federal government. At this time the federal government lumps hemp and marijuana together.
Showing posts with label Industrial Hemp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Industrial Hemp. Show all posts
March 6, 2013
February 27, 2013
Kentucky Hemp Bill Gets No Decision from House Committee
The Kentucky House committee refused to make any decision on a bill that the Republican-led Kentucky Senate easily passed.
Interestingly, there is absolutely nothing in the way that should stop the bill from going forward, other than a weak argument that because industrial hemp looks similar to marijuana, it would be more difficult to differentiate between the two by law enforcement.
But that's really irrelevant, as all law enforcement needs to do some testing involving crimes, so that's not really an issue at all.
Committee Chairman Tom McKee, D-Cynthiana, for some odd reason, wants to tie this into a federal permit, which would give permission for experimental hemp production in Kentucky.
There's no need for any type of experiment, Kentucky farmers decades ago learned how to grow industrial hemp, and all that is needed is a go ahead to proceed. There is no reason whatsoever to tie this into the federal government.
When a motion to take a vote was put forward, McKee ruled the motion as being out of order.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who has pushed for passage of a hemp bill in Kentucky, said this:
"This issue symbolizes what's wrong with the Kentucky General Assembly. The majority of the legislators want to do good things, they want to create jobs, they want to help farmers, but it gets bogged down in the political bickering."
Comer pointed to the fact that not only would Kentucky farmers get a new cash crop to grow, but it would result in the creation of processing jobs in the state.
As for the alleged use of hemp fields to grow marijuana, that's not even going to happen, as it is widely known in the industry that cross-pollination between hemp and marijuana created an inferior marijuana plant that would weaken the potency of the plant, rendering it pretty much useless to those seeking a high. It would be similar to watering down beer and thinking the product wouldn't decrease in demand.
So when all is said and done, industrial hemp needs to quickly be approved of so Kentucky farmers can grow it and new processing jobs created. There are no reasons whatsoever to deny this, as you can easily see.
Interestingly, there is absolutely nothing in the way that should stop the bill from going forward, other than a weak argument that because industrial hemp looks similar to marijuana, it would be more difficult to differentiate between the two by law enforcement.
But that's really irrelevant, as all law enforcement needs to do some testing involving crimes, so that's not really an issue at all.
Committee Chairman Tom McKee, D-Cynthiana, for some odd reason, wants to tie this into a federal permit, which would give permission for experimental hemp production in Kentucky.
There's no need for any type of experiment, Kentucky farmers decades ago learned how to grow industrial hemp, and all that is needed is a go ahead to proceed. There is no reason whatsoever to tie this into the federal government.
When a motion to take a vote was put forward, McKee ruled the motion as being out of order.
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who has pushed for passage of a hemp bill in Kentucky, said this:
"This issue symbolizes what's wrong with the Kentucky General Assembly. The majority of the legislators want to do good things, they want to create jobs, they want to help farmers, but it gets bogged down in the political bickering."
Comer pointed to the fact that not only would Kentucky farmers get a new cash crop to grow, but it would result in the creation of processing jobs in the state.
As for the alleged use of hemp fields to grow marijuana, that's not even going to happen, as it is widely known in the industry that cross-pollination between hemp and marijuana created an inferior marijuana plant that would weaken the potency of the plant, rendering it pretty much useless to those seeking a high. It would be similar to watering down beer and thinking the product wouldn't decrease in demand.
So when all is said and done, industrial hemp needs to quickly be approved of so Kentucky farmers can grow it and new processing jobs created. There are no reasons whatsoever to deny this, as you can easily see.
February 19, 2013
Beshear Resisting Hemp as Crop Option for Kentucky Farmers
Democratic Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has taken the side of those who are opposing the inclusion of industrial hemp as an option for Kentucky farmers to grow.
Beshear alluded to the challenge of drug abuse in Kentucky as the reason for his concerns, which of course makes no sense because industrial hemp doesn't have the qualities its cousin marijuana does to create a high.
The resistance from law enforcement comes from concerns that marijuana could be easily hidden in hemp fields because the plants can only be identified in lab testing.
Republican Agriculture Commissioner James Comer has pushed for industrial hemp because Kentucky is suited so well to produce the crop, and the fibrous qualities of the plant can be used in numerous products in high demand, including foods, biofuels, clothing and paper, among many others.
The auto industry is also a major source of demand for industrial hemp, which would bode well for the commonwealth because of the strong presence of the automobile industry in the state.
There is no reason whatsoever in Kentucky to not allow industrial hemp to be grown. The idea that farmers have another crop to grow, which would produce more jobs and profits, only reinforces it is a good move to make. Just because it looks like marijuana is one of the most lame excuses for not allowing it to be part of Kentucky farming.
Beshear alluded to the challenge of drug abuse in Kentucky as the reason for his concerns, which of course makes no sense because industrial hemp doesn't have the qualities its cousin marijuana does to create a high.
The resistance from law enforcement comes from concerns that marijuana could be easily hidden in hemp fields because the plants can only be identified in lab testing.
Republican Agriculture Commissioner James Comer has pushed for industrial hemp because Kentucky is suited so well to produce the crop, and the fibrous qualities of the plant can be used in numerous products in high demand, including foods, biofuels, clothing and paper, among many others.
The auto industry is also a major source of demand for industrial hemp, which would bode well for the commonwealth because of the strong presence of the automobile industry in the state.
There is no reason whatsoever in Kentucky to not allow industrial hemp to be grown. The idea that farmers have another crop to grow, which would produce more jobs and profits, only reinforces it is a good move to make. Just because it looks like marijuana is one of the most lame excuses for not allowing it to be part of Kentucky farming.
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