Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week announced legislation he intends to introduce in the Senate to support hemp farmers. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 will legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances.
McConnell announced the legislation in his home state earlier this week, which implemented a hemp pilot program that McConnell calls a nationwide example of how to cultivate hemp. Noting the history of hemp cultivation in Kentucky, McConnell says he believes hemp can “be an important part of our future.”
As of 2017, 38 states allow hemp cultivation for commercial or research programs.
McConnell says the legislation would also remove the federal barriers in place which will help expand the domestic production of hemp. It 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 work with the support of federal research dollars.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.