Rand Paul and Thomas Massie to testify Monday for Kentucky hemp bill

[jct74]

Rand Paul, John Yarmuth and Thomas Massie to testify Monday for hemp bill

Published: February 8, 2013
By Jack Brammer

FRANKFORT — Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, said his panel will vote Monday on his industrial hemp bill after it hears from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and U.S. Reps. John Yarmuth and Thomas Massie.

Senate Bill 50 would license farmers to grow industrial hemp under Kentucky Department of Agriculture regulations if federal restrictions are lifted. Hemp cultivation is now banned because it shares a classification with marijuana, although hemp has extremely low levels of the active drug THC.

Paul, R-Bowling Green, has filed federal legislation to differentiate between hemp and marijuana, and he and Yarmuth, D-Louisville, plan to lobby Washington for a waiver that would allow Kentucky farmers to grow hemp if the regulatory legislation passes. Massie, R-Garrison, also supports the move.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Louisville, has endorsed efforts in Kentucky to legalize industrial hemp, but U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, has said he is concerned about law-enforcement officials' opposition to it and whether there is a market for the crop.

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read more:
http://www.kentucky.com/2013/02/08/2...nd-thomas.html


[update]

media coverage:




Rand:




Thomas:

[brandon]

Hal Rogers is concerned if there is a market for the crop? wtf does that have to do with legalizing it? He thinks we should outlaw something because there isn't a market for it?

[Indy Vidual]

There is a huge market for it.

[jct74]

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer on SB 50


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc2Y_NoONRI

[Constitutional Paulicy]

I'm surprised how many people still believe that hemp and marijuana are one in the same. A .005% THC level makes hemp worthless as a drug. Someone must be working awfully hard to create such a long standing misconception.

[SpreadOfLiberty]

Hal Rogers is concerned if there is a market for the crop? wtf does that have to do with legalizing it? He thinks we should outlaw something because there isn't a market for it?

Hal Rogers is horrible, was defending drone strikes this morning. Get rid of him ASAP Kentucky.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Hal Rogers is concerned if there is a market for the crop? wtf does that have to do with legalizing it? He thinks we should outlaw something because there isn't a market for it?

lol he needs to 'study up' ... what an assclown.

[jct74]

here's a collection of media coverage from Monday's hearing:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moby9-Wa5jY

[brandon]

Thanks for the videos, this is great news that it passed committee. I do wonder why they are so concerned about getting permission from DC, when Colorado and Washington state have already outright legalized marijuana without permission.

[fr33]

Excellent! I enjoyed listening to Massie as a fellow farmer.