Hemp farming and the law

Hemp and the law

Nebraska State Senator, Ed Schrock said in support of hemp, "The United States is the only industrial country where the growing of industrial hemp is illegal."(1 ).

Former Director of the CIA Under President Clinton Jim Woolsey said in support of Industrial hemp "Historically, the Drug Enforcement Administration has interpreted hemp to be in the marijuana band so as to include a ban on it," and also said "Hemp is so valuable, the last time I looked, it was many times more than the price of wheat and has industrial uses so substantial,". He also serves on board of North American Industrial Hemp Council(2 ).

Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas introduced a Bill in 2005 (H.R. 3037) to remove the federal roadblock from farmers of this country being able to grow industrial hemp. Rep Paul said "It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, competing in the global industrial hemp market," and continued "Indeed the founders of our nation, some of who grew hemp, surely would find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act."(3 ).

This effort failed, but not to be dissuaded. Rep. Paul reintroduced another industrial hemp bill called the "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007,"( H.R. 1009,)with nine Original co sponsors Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Jim McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)(4 ).