Two bills introduced in Congress this month seek to amend the U.S. Controlled Substance Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of the marijuana drug.
"The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015" would legalize commercial hemp farming on a federal level and allow states to regulate the crop.
Hemp is used to make fuel, textiles, paper, rope, and as a substitute for plastic. But the non-drug cousin of cannabis is currently considered a Schedule I banned substance under federal drug laws, alongside marijuana, ecstasy, LSD and heroin.
Companion bills to legalize hemp have been introduced in the House and Senate and have bipartisan support. If successfully negotiated in committee, a final bill would go to a vote of the Congress, and then the president's desk.
In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). In the House it was introduced by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).
"The federal ban on hemp has been a waste of taxpayer dollars that ignores science, suppresses innovation, and subverts the will of states that have chosen to incorporate this versatile crop into their economies," Polis said.
Sen. Paul agreed, adding that "allowing farmers throughout our nation to cultivate hemp and benefit from its many uses will boost our economy and bring much-needed jobs to the agriculture industry."
Under Colorado's Amendment 64 passed in 2012, hemp was legalized at the state level and permits were issued to farmers from the department of agriculture. Hemp crops are subject to testing to ensure they contain less than 0.3 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The proposed bill includes the THC concentration limit, and state hemp programs are subject to review by the Attorney General.
In Montezuma County, two farmers took part in the state program, and grew 100 acres of experimental hemp. The pilot farms had marginal success, in part because of poor seed quality.
A major hurdle for Colorado hemp farmers has been procuring a viable seed stock that is genetically designed to flourish in the Southwest.
Legalization of industrial hemp at the federal level would solve that problem, said Sharon Stewart, founder of Hemp Talks Western Slope, based in Montezuma County.
"Right now, it is illegal to obtain seeds into the country," Stewart said. "If the feds are out of the way, Colorado will flourish. People are chomping at the bit to get seeds and grow thousands of acres."
To date, 21 states have defined industrial hemp as distinct from the drug strain of cannabis and removed barriers to its production.
A landmark provision in the 2014 Farm Bill federally legalized hemp for research purposes for those states for five years. Colorado State University is on board and announced plans for pilot crops at their research facility in Yellow Jacket.
