Kentucky to Move Forward With Legal Hemp Production
The Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission voted today to approve a plan by the state’s Agriculture Department to soon begin issuing hemp licenses, with hemp farming to begin next year. This mo
ve is possible due to the passage of Senate Bill 50 earlier this year which legalized hemp in the state, with it taking effect being contingent on a change in federal law. With the recent announcement from the Obama Administration that they won’t go after states which have legalized cannabis, the state is considering that to be enough of a change.
“The DOJ memo removes any question that SB 50 and the changes to Kentucky’s laws in this legislation may be immediately implemented,” says James Comer, Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner. According to Comer, the memo clarifies “that the federal government does not and will not view Kentucky’s industrial hemp as an illegal product.”
Comer – in collaboration with U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky – plans to send an official letter soon to the Department of Justice, letting them know their intentions to move forward with legal hemp production.
– TheJointBlog
