More Good News on Hemp from Congress

The momentum continues to build in support of hemp in the U.S. Congress. That’s why it is even more important for us to keep the pressure going. Just this Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution, in honor of Hemp History Week, that recognizes hemp’s “historical relevance” and “growing economic potential” while bemoaning the fact that the US is “the only major industrialized country that restricts hemp farming.”

Repeat: unanimously. Does this ever happen in our polarized and paralyzed government? Can I hear an “Amen”?

The prior week, the uber-powerful Senate Appropriations Committee passed language that would direct the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services to spend $500,000 on the development of a hemp seed bank. As Forbes’ Tom Angell discusses here, the Committee recognized hemp’s “growing importance as a crop for U.S. farmers” who have been hampered by losing access to publicly available germplasm for plant breeding purposes due to the destruction of the nation’s industrial hemp germplasm in the 1980s. Meanwhile, be sure to check out this excellent op-ed by hemp champion, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, as well as this piece from Hemp Industry Daily’s Kristen Nichols that highlights the work of the US Hemp Roundtable to develop a self-regulated organization in order to protect consumers against falsely-labeled products.

Permanent legalization of hemp is within our sights. Help us get across the finish line. Use our easy online portal today to urge your Members of Congress to pass the Hemp Farming Act of 2018.