U.S. Senate Votes to Legalize Hemp




American farmers may soon be allowed to capitalize on the growing market for hemp, an excellent source of nutrition and sustainable fiber for clothing, paper and countless other materials

 




The U.S. government is one step away from legalizing the material its founding document was written on – hemp.

The U.S. Farm Bill, which this year includes “The Hemp Farming Act” just passed the U.S. Senate with overwhelming support.

The legislation, championed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), will legalize the cultivation, processing and sale of industrial hemp, if passed in the House of Representatives.

“Consumers across America buy hundreds of millions in retail products every year that contain hemp,” McConnell said in a floor speech on Thursday.

But thanks to an almost century-long prohibition, American farmers have not been allowed to meet that demand, leaving consumers with little choice but to buy imported hemp products from other countries, he said.

The bill received wide bi-partisan support.

“This restriction defied common sense,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“The farmers in China and Canada were happy about it because they could grow it there and send it to the United States. I’m for creating those jobs here in Oregon.”

“For the first time in 80 years, this bill legalizes hemp,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) said in a floor speech on Wednesday.

“We forget, but hemp was widely grown in the United States throughout the mid-1800s. Americans used hemp in fabrics, wine, and paper.

“Our government treated industrial hemp like any other farm commodity until the early 20th century, when a 1937 law defined it as a narcotic drug, dramatically limiting its growth. This became even worse in 1970 when hemp became a schedule I controlled substance.

In Colorado, as is true across the country–I have talked to a lot of colleagues about this–we see hemp as a great opportunity to diversify our farms and manufacture high-margin products for the American people.”

The “global market for hemp consists of more than 25,000 products,” says a Congressional Research Service report released last week.

House Republican leaders blocked a vote to make hemp legalization part of that chamber’s version of the Farm Bill. But now that the language is included in the Senate’s version, it is more likely to be included in the joint piece of legislation that ends up on President Trump’s desk.

Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner applauded the Hemp Farming Act on Twitter:

Watch the video below and then contact your U.S. representative and tell them to pass the bill!





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13 responses to “U.S. Senate Votes to Legalize Hemp”

  1. Steven Terrell Avatar
    Steven Terrell

    I wish this was satire.

    1. Laurie Almquist Avatar
      Laurie Almquist

      Why Steven? The earth needs this product, it is being smothered by plastics, for that reason alone, it is needed.

      1. Afra Avatar
        Afra

        I think he is referring to the fact that it was banned.

    2. Randy S Avatar
      Randy S

      Why? one huge market is our own navy which wants hemp rope and not the artificial stuff so why should we supply other countries with the huge income for farming and them making what we are fully capable of doing what we once did ourselves? And that is only one market, this doesn’t even come close to the millions and possibly billions of dollars in the other uses for it. educate yourself before you open your mouth.

    3. Ron Avatar
      Ron

      I think you are mistaking hemp and marijuana. Learn please

    4. Chris Avatar
      Chris

      Industrial hemp is Camnabis sativa but it’s been bred to grow 12 feet tall or more and has less than 1% THC. You can’t abuse industrial hemp. Plus due to it having such low levels of THC it has higher levels of many other cannabinoids that are interesting for their medicinal properties and do t get you stoned. The most popularly know. Is CBD but there are a number of others too.

  2. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    We bought a tshirt made from hemp when visiting the Woodstock Museum. Softest fabric I have touched

  3. Bug Avatar
    Bug

    Almost any substance can be abused in some way. We should make use of the natural materials that God has blessed the earth with.

  4. Pam Webber Avatar

    to try Hemp CBD oil go to: http://www.pamwebber.myctfocbd.com/cbd or message me

  5. Michael Plack Avatar
    Michael Plack

    We need this!!

  6. Bill Dowdell Avatar
    Bill Dowdell

    I’m all for it as long as we keep Monsanto out of the picture!

  7. Ras Avatar
    Ras

    We need to make misusing political position for personal or corporate gain a Schedule 1 drug and put all of them in prison for making this innocuous plant criminal for so long.

  8. Tracy Avatar
    Tracy

    I’m all for it. With the cancer treatment It made made me sick no matter what I took. Wish I had some them.