Hemp going legit; some wonder if pot is far behind? The Non-toxic Relative of Pot Has Many Practical Uses
- Author: Mary Singleton
- Posted: 2023-12-02
Since 20 states permit the use of medical marijuana, and with Colorado and Washington having recently allowed the recreational use, this agreement may signal a rethinking of federal policy.
Eric Steenstra, president of the advocacy group Vote Hemp, seems to think so. Others are not so sure, Kevin Sabet, of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, is skeptical that it will make any difference in federal policy in the long run.
The agreement was a bipartisan effort. Democrats from states friendly to marijuana use have been pushing toward allowing the cultivation of hemp. Republicans, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, view the plant as possibly a profitable new crop.
While some analysts predict that hemp will be a niche crop, hemp activists are looking forward to more research to help the fledgling industry get started.
The U.S. imported over $11 million in hemp products in 2011.
The uses of hemp range from oil for cooking, lotions and soaps to rope to fabric for clothing. Until now, the growing U.S. market for hemp has had to depend on hemp imported from growers in Canada and China. With this agreement in the farm bill, the way is opened for U.S. farmers to compete in this growing market.
Hemp is the same species as marijuana, Cannabis sativa, but hemp has been bred and cultivated to greatly reduce THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana.
Historically, hemp was grown until the late 1950s, with a peak production of greater than 1510 million pounds, with over 146,000 acres in production. Since 1970, farmers have been required to obtain permits from the Drug Enforcement Administration in order to produce hemp. In 1999, the last permit was issued for an experimental quarter-acre plot in Hawaii.
The legality of the crop is not assured, as the full House and Senate need to agree on the farm bill before it heads to the House floor on Wednesday.
Ten states, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia allow help to be grown, even though federal drug law currently blocks the cultivation in most.
Licensing procedures in Colorado have been released by the Colorado Department of Agriculture for prospective hemp farmers. A handful of farmers harvested a small amount last year. Total numbers of the harvest were not available.
