CaseyJones
10-15-2013, 08:58 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/10/15/after-56-years-hemp-makes-a-comeback/
It’s been more than half a century, but hemp is back. Sort of.
Earlier this month, a Colorado man harvested the crop for what advocates say was the first time in 56 years. The legality of his actions are somewhat unclear, but they represent a promising turning point for proponents of the versatile plant that can be used in fabrics, textiles, yarns, paper and carpeting.
“I’m much more hopeful than I have been,” says Tom Murphy, national outreach coordinator for Vote Hemp, a nonprofit that advocates for legal changes that would allow farmers to grow the crop. Thanks to a confluence of state and federal policies, hemp cultivation may not be far off.
Hemp, a plant of the same species as marijuana, falls into a legal gray area. Because it contains trace levels of THC — the substance in marijuana that gets people high — it’s governed by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. It’s not illegal to grow, but you need a Drug Enforcement Agency permit to do so. And none are currently out there, according to a July Congressional Research Service report.
It’s been more than half a century, but hemp is back. Sort of.
Earlier this month, a Colorado man harvested the crop for what advocates say was the first time in 56 years. The legality of his actions are somewhat unclear, but they represent a promising turning point for proponents of the versatile plant that can be used in fabrics, textiles, yarns, paper and carpeting.
“I’m much more hopeful than I have been,” says Tom Murphy, national outreach coordinator for Vote Hemp, a nonprofit that advocates for legal changes that would allow farmers to grow the crop. Thanks to a confluence of state and federal policies, hemp cultivation may not be far off.
Hemp, a plant of the same species as marijuana, falls into a legal gray area. Because it contains trace levels of THC — the substance in marijuana that gets people high — it’s governed by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. It’s not illegal to grow, but you need a Drug Enforcement Agency permit to do so. And none are currently out there, according to a July Congressional Research Service report.