Senator Wyden Wants Hemp Farming Allowed Into The Next Farm Bill

the War of Drugs may be getting another chink in its armor. Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill to the Senate which allow farmers to grow industrial hemp . Hemp is a form of marijuana that does not contain enough THC to get you high but the stalks of which are used in hundreds of industrial products like paper, plastics and food. George Washington cultivated hemp on his farms.

Hemp has been banned in the United States for many years because the plant is considered a derivative of Marijuana. Wyden’s amendment, S.3240, would change the definition of hemp to exclude it from being classified as “marijuana” by the Federal Government. Without the classification of marijuana hemp cultivation will be open to the States themselves to decide how t regulate the plant.

Representative Ron Paul introduced a similar bill into the US House at the beginning of this session.

Wyden in a statement on Thursday saying,

“The federal prohibition on growing industrial hemp has forced companies to needlessly import raw materials from other countries. My amendment to the Farm Bill will change federal policy to allow U.S. farmers to produce hemp for these safe and legitimate products right here, helping both producers and suppliers to grow and improve Oregon’s economy in the process.”

Seventeen States have lifted all prohibitions on the cultivation of hemp but farmers will not grow it until they have permission from the Federal Government to cultivate. the farmers do not want to fear a crop confiscation.

Should the government reclassify hemp it will be a boon to struggling farmers in a tough economy.