The Hemp Industries Association, along with the Kentucky Hemp Industry Council filed a petition Wednesday to legalize industrial hemp.
The petition was filed with the Drug Enforcement Administration to remove industrial hemp plants from its list of controlled substances, which would green-light cultivation in the United States. The groups claim legalizing the crop at the federal level would open economic opportunities in rural America, but the Controlled Substances Act classifies all forms of cannabis as a schedule one substance, even though industrialized hemp lacks the potential for drug abuse, according to Politico. The 2014 Farm Bill defined hemp as distinctly different from marijuana and also permitted farming pilot projects in states that have legalized cultivation. Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden have introduced bills that would legalize industrial hemp. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has also been a leading advocate of the legislation.