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View Full Version : Looks like KY's hemp bill passes




Matt Collins
03-26-2013, 11:35 PM
From an activist e-mail:



Senate Bill 50, the Industrial Hemp Bill, just passed House of Representatives with a resounding 88-4 vote! The Senate agreed to minor changes to the original bill, and passed it 35-1. Only five people out of the entire General Assembly voted against the hemp bill!


There was a 4th and final amendment, but for the most part, the opposition backed down. The amendment to Senate Bill 50 may even empower the Hemp Commission more!


The State Police WILL NOT have any control over permits, they only do background checks and have the ability to do field testing. These are both functions that the State Police already does anyway, so it's basically the same as the original Senate Bill 50.


The Industrial Hemp Commission WILL stay under the Department of Agriculture, not the University of Kentucky. Ag Commissioner Comer's staff has pledged to work as hard in the future as they have done up to this point. Commissioner Comer and his staff have done an outstanding job of progressing the hemp movement and should be commended for their hard work!


The Hemp Commission appointees will remain the same. There was a possibility that several of us grassroots folks could lose our seat on the commission, but that stipulation was dropped.


The studies and research provisions were all dropped. The hemp commission will pay for any and all studies, but it's all at the discretion of the commission. If the commission feels that KY needs a 5 year study, we'll do that.


For the most part, the opposition to SB 50 backed down on their demands. The Industrial Hemp Commission WILL BE responsible for setting up the framework for hemp growers. I'm quite certain that the huge amounts of phone calls, emails, and messages from hemp supporters across the state had something to do with that!


The one and only major concession that was made was that Agriculture Commissioner Comer would have to step aside as chair of the Hemp Commission. He will take a seat as the Vice Chair, and we will elect a new chairman from the Hemp Commission membership. Commissioner Comer will still continue to be a huge part of this movement, and the staff at the Department of Agriculture will continue to work hard to help promote Kentucky hemp!!


Congratulations to all hemp supporters far and wide! If it wasn't for all the phone calls, emails, texts messages, and the sharing of information across social media, this bill would not have been a success! We did it together! Hemp Hemp Hooray!

RonPaulFanInGA
03-26-2013, 11:39 PM
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?408859-Mommy-Graas-Rand-Paul-Bringing-Reefer-Madness-to-Kentucky-with-Hemp-Push

Can't imagine the aneurysm she'll be having.

satchelmcqueen
03-27-2013, 12:04 AM
yes!!!

mad cow
03-27-2013, 12:12 AM
Excellent!Kentucky leads the way!

The Northbreather
03-27-2013, 12:39 AM
Quarantine that ditch weed!

Just kiddinin.

Bring on the opportunities! Good job all!

MRK
03-27-2013, 01:19 AM
Wow! Nice work guys. This is amazing. This is more proof of what the grassroots can do when we stay dedicated locally.

A_G1RL
03-27-2013, 01:33 AM
In Oregon it is legal to grow hemp. However, it did not pass that the state would defend it against federal agencies charges or actions.

TheTyke
03-27-2013, 01:43 AM
A few interesting tidbits.... The toughest part was always getting a vote to be taken, not getting the votes itself. The grassroots had been pushing hemp for some time - the legislative history went back decades. For the past several years, Republican Senate President, David Williams, used his influence to assure that it wouldn't even be heard or voted on in committee, much less on the floor. Phil Moffett ran against him for governor on a pro-hemp platform and lost, but Jamie Comer got in as Ag Commissioner the same year (2011.) He may not be a true liberty guy, but I'll give him this, he honored his commitment and fought with everything he had for this.

David Williams got appointed as a judge, and Rand, Thomas, Comer, and even Yarmuth executed a full press for industrial hemp before the new senate pres could lock things down... It finally passed the senate committee and the Republican senate. However, until the very last minute, the Dem House didn't even want to call it to a vote... The state police opposed it, and tried to get concessions/positions/money out of it through amendments, that would've been worse than no bill at all. But Take Back Kentucky, the hemp commission, and grassroots people all over had to shut down the phone lines just to get a vote in committee... finally got it... then the speaker wouldn't allow it a vote and we had to start all over! The media was actually very helpful though in informing the public and getting publicity. By the end, over 66% of Kentuckians ended up supporting hemp. I heard this issue generated a historic number of calls.

Finally, on the very last day of the session, apparently the speaker got tired of looking like a villain and the state police's toady, threw up his hands and said it was up to the floor leader, and we got a vote. We'd had plenty of votes all along, it was just an arduous process to get votes allowed! Had to get 4 of them... senate committee, senate floor, house committee, and house floor.... phew.

It still has to be signed by governor though, and since they delayed until the last day, there would be no time to override a veto. Fingers crossed...

cheapseats
03-27-2013, 04:18 AM
A few interesting tidbits.... The toughest part was always getting a vote to be taken, not getting the votes itself...


Same will be true with legalization of marijuana.

Getting it TO THE PEOPLE for a vote is that much harder, of course, with REACTIONARY HEADWINDS from people like Rand Paul.

CAPRICIOUSNESS by another name is POLITICS.

COWARD by another name is POLITICIAN.

abacabb
03-27-2013, 04:34 AM
So, is the price of hemp shakes going to start going down soon?

speciallyblend
03-27-2013, 07:09 AM
Excellent!Kentucky leads the way!

duplicate

speciallyblend
03-27-2013, 07:11 AM
Excellent!Kentucky leads the way!

colorado leads the way, kentucky follows! hemp is legal in colorado. bottom line if the gop candidate in 2016 doesn't support legal hemp and marijuana. They can throw the towel in winning a general election. Will not happen if the gop opposes individual rights and hemp. I hope both states lead the way!

Matt Collins
03-27-2013, 10:16 AM
Press release:



Sen. Paul Applauds the Passage of Kentucky Hemp Legislation


FRANKFORT, KY. – On Tuesday, March 26, the Kentucky General Assembly agreed to final passage of Kentucky Senate Bill 50, which would set up a framework to regulate industrial hemp in Kentucky. Sen. Paul has pledged to seek a waiver from the administration when a regulatory framework is in place. He has also introduced legislation at the federal level that removes restrictions on the production of industrial hemp.

“I commend the Kentucky General Assembly for final passage of Senate Bill 50. I want to thank Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Paul Hornback and the members of the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission for their leadership and hard work in passing this legislation,” Sen. Paul said.

“Senate Bill 50 is an important step forward in the reintroduction of industrial hemp in Kentucky. I have pledged, along with Rep. John Yarmuth, to seek a waiver when a regulatory framework is in place. I will follow through on that pledge and I hope that Kentucky will soon start growing hemp, creating jobs and leading the nation in this industry again.”

jtap
03-27-2013, 02:25 PM
Did they put anything in place that guarantees this won't be repealed for a certain number of years?

I was just thinking about if a company wanted to start up would they have any assurance that the laws wouldn't change before they could actually have a chance to make some money or would it be possible that the government could change their mind and screw them over?

CaseyJones
03-27-2013, 02:28 PM
what needs to be done now as the grassroots is to support Thomas Massies H.R.525 - Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 it currently has 36 cosponsors http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/525 think we can get to 100?

CaseyJones
03-27-2013, 02:34 PM
and the companion bill in the Senate S.359 - Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 which has a mere 4 cosponsors http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/359/cosponsors so call fax email and while they are town maybe visit your Reps and Senators to urge them to help get this legislation passed

Lucille
03-27-2013, 02:48 PM
what needs to be done now as the grassroots is to support Thomas Massies H.R.525 - Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 it currently has 36 cosponsors http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/525 think we can get to 100?


and the companion bill in the Senate S.359 - Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 which has a mere 4 cosponsors http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/359/cosponsors so call fax email and while they are town maybe visit your Reps and Senators to urge them to help get this legislation passed

Done, thanks! I included these quotes:

"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country."
--Thomas Jefferson

“Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!”
-Thomas Jefferson