December 13, 2018

"Congress just voted to legalize hemp" — non-psychoactive cannabis.

Vox reports:
McConnell (R-KY), along with Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced the bill earlier this year. It was wrapped into the broader farm bill, which mostly deals with agriculture subsidies and food assistance programs, and passed with that legislation. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.

For McConnell, the hope is to make hemp a new source of jobs for his home state: He said earlier this year that he hopes hemp “can become sometime in the future what tobacco was in Kentucky’s past.” ...

As it stands, farmers face several barriers to growing hemp due to federal prohibition — including restricted access to banking, water rights, and crop insurance. The bill removes these restrictions, putting the US Department of Agriculture and state agencies in charge of regulations.

23 comments:

MadisonMan said...

Ropes for everyone!

I'm glad this has happened.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

"It was wrapped into the broader farm bill, which mostly deals with agriculture subsidies and food assistance programs, and passed with that legislation. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law."

Just note that 80% of the farm bill funding goes to food stamps. And they removed the work requirements for food stamps in the same bill. A travesty.

It's amazing that it took so long to recognize that you cannot get high on hemp. You can bet there will be local law enforcement and game wardens destroying the crops they think are marijuana.

What a fiasco our "war on drugs" has been. All the way back to Elvis Presley asking to be made a "Federal Agent at Large" for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

David Begley said...

“I think if you were Satan and you were settin around tryin to think up somethin that would just bring the human race to its knees what you would probably come up with is narcotics.”

― Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men

Thanks Mitch! From cancer to hell via the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Bread and circuses.

Jimmy said...

They classified hemp as a controlled substance in the 70's, as part of the creation of the DEA and the war on drugs. Hemp has been used in many different and useful ways for thousands of years. And you can't get high on it.
Common sense government style, or 4 decades of hysteria to change a mistake.
Annie C is spot on re: food stamps. Huge part of budget, and if I'm giving someone money, I would like at least a small effort on their part. Most of us have had hard times. Some people, with government help, make a nice living scamming programs like food stamps, medicare etc. Standing in line at the market, paying for food with money I worked for, while someone half my age uses his food stamp charge card is upsetting.

rehajm said...

You can bet there will be local law enforcement and game wardens destroying the crops they think are marijuana.

You can bet there will be farmers claiming to local law enforcement that their marijuana crop is hemp.

Mary Beth said...

Weak tea.

Ralph L said...

Now I've forgotten the name of those carpets that look like knitted rope, so they've been out of fashion a while.

What else will they do with the stuff? Make ethanol?

Bob Boyd said...

"President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law."

Any journalist worthy of the name has already begun scouring the web for anything that could link hemp farming to the KKK.

rhhardin said...

Stick with manila for rope. Sisal is no good outdoors.

Leland said...

Ugh, more bus stop art...

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hemp produces the components that can help with pain and sleep.

CBD oil is going to be a big thing.

Known Unknown said...

"CBD oil is going to be a big thing."

It's illegal in Ohio, but it's sold all over the place. I expect a good crackdown on the ne'er-do-wells exercising their economic freedoms.

Lucien said...

The DEA is responsible for making marijuana a Schedule 1 drug (which is ludicrous) and could remove it from Schedule 1 (maybe with help from the FDA). If you believe in a unitary executive, this should be something that President Trump could bring about if he wanted. He'd just have to oust the Deep Staters in DEA who hate marijuana with religious fervor, because if it were legal they'd have to make do with a smaller budget. No legislative action would be required -- and then it would be up to the states.

Anonymous said...

For everyone's fund of general knowledge: " Its [Hemp] seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and other nutraceuticals. The fibers and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, and more.Jul 14, 2015 (Google)
More from Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Ralph L said...

So it's like pulpwood, only quicker.

My sister once worked for the pulpwood lobby in DC. I wonder if they fought this.

gerry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gerry said...

Meh. Hemp used to be a big cash crop in Kentucky. On my dad's farm in Indiana we used to find it growing wild from time to time, usually a scrawny curiosity and never blooming.

Birkel said...

Cocaine Mitch acting sensibly, alongside Rand Paul.
The War on Drugs is lost, especially when things that are not drugs, like hemp, are classified as drugs.

David Begley sounds crazy, above.
Come back to reality, Begley.

Tom T. said...

Wasn't the ban on hemp imposed precisely because it's so difficult to distinguish from cannabis in situ?

Birkel said...

Tom T,

Best not to demand the police be good at their jobs, amirite?

Howard said...

Yemen tied to hemp bill

Christy said...

Fifty years ago old folks told me you would see hemp growing wild along railroad tracks all over the country. I've forgotten why. Would it have been mature plants shipped by rail dropping seeds along the way? Does suggest it's an easy crop.

chillblaine said...

just had 7 g of "Heisenberg OG," delivered to my haus, also a coupla packs of smokes. all out in the open. this is a much better way, imo