United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) today announced that he has secured provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill to further expand and facilitate state-regulated hemp production.
In a press release, McConnell acknowledged that provisions in S. 2667: The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 have now been incorporated into the Senate’s version of The Farm Bill (aka The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) — must-pass legislation that is approved by Congress every five years. Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee will consider the legislation on Wednesday, June 13.
Senate Bill 2667 expands upon provisions (Section 7606) in the 2014 version of the Farm Bill that permit states to establish hemp research and cultivation programs absent federal approval. A majority of states have now enacted legislation to permit such programs.
In 2017, state-licensed producers grew over 39,000 acres of hemp, according to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“Securing the Hemp Farming Act as part of the 2018 Farm Bill has been a top priority of mine,” said Senator McConnell. “I look forward to continuing to work with my Senate colleagues on this and many other issues important to Kentucky agriculture as we move towards consideration of the Farm Bill.
He added: “As a result of the hemp pilot program, which I secured in the 2014 Farm Bill, Kentucky’s farmers, processors, and manufacturers have begun to show the potential for this versatile crop. Today’s announcement will build upon that progress to help the Commonwealth enhance its standing at the forefront of hemp’s return to American agriculture. I look forward to continuing to work with my Senate colleagues and my partners in Kentucky … to grow hemp’s bright future.”
Senate Bill 2667 provides states and/or Indian tribes with “primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp.”
If the partisan blind liberals here at NORML could let go of their irrational political views for a second they would report to their readers that Trump has said he will likely support the legislation that leaves the legal marijuana states to do as they will.
That’s real governing libs, you talk about getting things done, Trump does it.
Suck on that snowflakes
Hi FredBear,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We published and article last week highlighting President Trump’s comments regarding the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act that was recently introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Corey Gardner (R-CO).
Read more below:
“President Donald Trump on Friday expressed verbal support for recently introduced, bi-partisan legislation that seeks to codify legal protections for state-sanctioned marijuana-related activities.”
http://blog.norml.org/2018/06/08/president-trump-expresses-support-for-bipartisan-marijuana-fix/
Feel free to share with your network.
Best,
Kevin
I just received the news from VoteHemp:
“While we were on the Hill, Senate Agriculture leaders announced they are releasing a new bipartisan Farm Bill today and hope to have it passed before the end of June.
The Farm Bill is must pass legislation that has to be reauthorized every 5 years. This is our best chance yet to legalize commercial hemp farming.”
This is incredible, historic news. Congress actually submitted a hemp bill to the appropriate Senate Agricultural Committee!!! I suspect it will pass committee. The bigger hurdle will be getting through the bicameral conference committee, since Pete Sessions R-TX is blocking everything green, hemp or marijuana related in the House Rules Committee.
Then there’s the President:
Fun Fact, the two main reasons for the war of 1812 was so the British could control the Central Bank and Russian hemp supplies from the east.
What will the Russians do now?
Of course after what the President has done to small farmers from imposing tarrifs on us to selling all the political power to Monsantos through his Sec. of Agriculture pic, you’d think the GOP would force the Prez to let this hemp bill slide through.
(Ha… sarcasm).
But it’s not just the Russians to fear. Koch Industries owns half of Congress and they have millions… perhaps billions to lose in synthetic petroleum and timber patents in a legal hemp economy. We need to be prepared to battle some ridiculous counter amendments like “hemp can’t be used for fuel, food, medicine or shelter.”
Sound crazy? Look at Charles and David Koch. They look like they were breastfed from that crazy Ice Queen from Narnia if she ate the kids at the end of the movie.
Just be ready is all I’m sayin.
I hate to say it; but I don’t advise ANY nation to import any US GMO crops, or even any wheat that is desiccated with RoundUp – as much of it is.
I found it rather shocking how quickly China was willing to throw Bayer-Monsantos GMO corn and soy into the trade war. Who wants to have a dicamba-pesticide bomb in their own yard? And then pay Bayer for it because they own your seeds? Ridiculous. And our beef is filled with petrol based Koch fertilizers. China was like “no thank you, we can give cancer to ourselves. Would you like to try our lead-paint toys at WalMart?”
Of course China knows they are hurting rural Trump voters, but Trump has done enough to his own voters himself and they keep drinking the poison. All those farmers in India that commit suicide drinking the pesticides they can no longer afford? That’s US now! US Farmers now surpass veterans as the leading occupation for suicides.
The gig is up. We have no choice but to legalize hemp because (due in part to prohibition and part natural character of the crop…) hemp doesn’t need all those petrol fertilizers, GMO resistance to pesticides or herbicides. The gig is up on prohibition because sooner or later US Republican voting farmers are going to realize Republicans are poisoning them to death and selling their farms to Bayer-Monsantos while under these same times and circumstances Democrats would have legalized already.
Native Americans can have their hemp; McConnell has got to go. He protects Traitor Trump.
Trump is a lot less of a traitor than Obama and Clinton, who do everything they can to protect and enable illegal immigrants. Most have little tradition, or even interest, after all, in holding government accountable (not that it’s anywhere close, currently).
I support protecting immigrants, so your argument makes me hate Trump even more.
I was going to ask Dain the context of what he meant by “native Americans can have their hemp…” perhaps referring to White Plume a Lakota from the Ogallala nation who finally won his right to grow hemp on his reservation? Or Obama’s executive order that allowed American Indian nations to grow marijuana and hemp on federal lands?
But then some nutjob comes along and goes so far out of context that he blames our current marijuana prohibition on Obama helping immigrants? WTF? Thats about as regurgitated as conspiracy gets. Not even Rosanne could have made such an unfounded connection and she stays up all night on ambien with split personalities. So if helping immigrants is wrong, by that rational, you must be of indigenous origin? And yet the original nations show more respect for immigrants than you. And immigrants BROUGHT hemp to America… soooooo… whew… know what? …never mind.
Julian,
From the NORML article, above.
Senate Bill 2667 provides states and/or Indian tribes with “primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp.”
I think it’s WAY past time for white man to stop cutting down Native American hemp crops. For shame, DEA! For shame!
> But then some nutjob comes along and goes so far out of context that
> he blames our current marijuana prohibition on Obama helping
> immigrants?
Nutjob. Right. The proof is in the pudding. You are the one arguing for open borders. You are the one who claims I made any linkage between MJ prohibition and immigration whatsoever. I am most certainly not blaming immigrants for MJ prohibition; but the NWO, which I blame for that, and the “migrant” crises that are sweeping Europe under oceans of militant muslim immigrants, and the US problems are but a lite version of. You are the one who, when thinking you are quoting another’s argument, transform “illegal immigrants” into “immigrants”. To make “illegal immigrants” synonymous with “immigrants” is to imply that they all should be supported. This can be nothing other than completely open borders. While I think the US could do much to rid their countries of dictatorships, and improve their economies, I don’t think anybody who wants to come here should be able to.
To call Trump a traitor is based on a heaping pile of BS with virtually no basis in fact: “The Steele Dossir”. I am saying Hillary and Obama, as well as Bush, were first in line to open our borders to ILLEGAL immigration. They were completely gung ho to make sure our deficit is run up, so as to keep us under a crushing load of debt. They were just continuing to carry out the plan to “attack seven muslim countries” after 9/11. Trump is doing none of those things. Just because the president probably has the power to pardon himself, is nothing but stating what I and many others had already assumed after Watergate. The real checks on a president’s power is the impeachment power of congress and the Supreme Court. Speculation about how the Constitution’s pardon power works doesn’t begin to amount to treason. Throwing open the city gates to the whole outside does.
You may support the ILLEGAL immigrants: say it with me if you dare, Dain Bramage! I don’t, it is not traditional, and most people don’t support unlimited ILLEGAL immigration. If it makes you hate Trump more, it is only because you think all nations should have their people’s races equally mixed, so as to combat racism. This means you are under a heavy load of brainwashing. Tons of ILLEGAL immigrants and putting them on e.g. on Welfare other benefits will bankrupt those systems. It is a quite calculated plan to erase our genetic and cultural uniqueness; to crush our country under debt, and make the US no better than the third-world country these immigrants come from. Following this path will not lead them to a better country, ultimately. Much better to oppose dictatorships in their countries to make them livable, than to convert the US into a giant warehouse for refugees, without solving the problem.
FWIW: Random bashing of Trump for obscure (brainwashed) reasons does nothing to further the legalization debate. Vs. Reagan, the Bushes and Nixon (who, with Ollie North, originated the Drug War – when North would soon busy himself with creating the crack epidemic); Trump has expressed support for States Rights for MJ, as it ought to be. When either Repubs or Demos can offer sane policy, it needs to be embraced, SANS inflammatory (and pretty much baseless) rhetoric.
Thanks Dain. I read that originally but forgot about it when I read your post. Guess we all have selective memories, just some more than others…
Reality Allergy,
Didn’t anyone from your flock of Trumpanzees tell you? It’s the dirty rotten alien children, the minors, that scares Trump and Sessions the most. Who cares if they are legal or not? Your appeal to rule of law is quaint, by current Republican standards.
Reality Check,
Wow… let’s see if I can unpack what you just wrote…
1). Nope… I did not argue for open borders
2). You can’t bring up “Trump being less of a traitor than Obama” or “illegal immigrants” on a marijuana legalization blog without expecting your statements to be tied to the discussion of marijuana reform.
At the beginning of prohibition, pre 1937: Legal Mexican American citizens were called “illegal” and blamed for importing “marijuana” to quote Anslinger, “so darkies could rape our white women.” Now fast forward to 2015 Trump started his campaign blaming Mexicans for “bringing their rapists.” Feb. 2016 known prohibitionist Senator Sessions endorses Trump’s campaign. Now Central American Drug War Refugees’ families are being split up and denied asylum for fleeing governments our drug policies, drug demand and DOJ corrupted after our CIA toppled Democratically elected leaders.
There is your connection to prohibition and immigration, legal or otherwise.
Trump eats children.
I hope it will be prioritized that the greatest benefit from legalizing HEMP will be REFORestation– a couple of years of dense hempgrowth resulting in rich mulchdeposits for treefertility (note the reefer peeking out of that word) and tree-borne climate protection down the road for everybody worldwide (and trees are our prime custodians of fresh water).
.
Something for soon-unemployed million-dollar $igarette-rolling machines to do: roll up BROWNSPLIFF, each one filled with premium planting soil plus a seed (for the first few years, a cannabis seed, later the oak and beech you dream of seeing rise in your city).
Poke a hole in the ground under some old neglected bushes and stand the spliff upright in it (if the paper is brown vandals and prohibitors won’t notice it)– young plants will get reasonable shade and waterdrippage and grow to seed spreading green worldwide.
Action alert!
https://hempsupporter.com/resources/
Senator Chuck Grassley is trying to tie in a toxic amendment to the farm bill that would outlaw CBD and cannabinoid derivatives as a schedule 1 controlled substance!
Click on the link above and write your Senators to stop this amendment from passing!
I expected some dirty counter amendments but this one is blatantly evil as it is ridiculous.
Daaaang… Ol Grassley got denied!
Votehemp:
“This morning the Senate Agriculture Committee met to mark up the bipartisan Farm Bill which includes Senator McConnell’s Hemp Farming Act amendment. The good news is that the bill was passed on a 20-1 vote with the Hemp Farming Act included! Better yet, the bad amendment that Senator Grassley attempted to pass was not even voted on. This isn’t the end of the process but clearly Senator Grassley doesn’t have much support for his anti-farmer, anti-jobs amendment. This is a huge step forward and we thank the thousands of you who wrote or called Agriculture Committee Senators to urge them not to support the Grassley amendment.
Grassley’s amendment would explicitly exclude “cannabinoids,” “extracts” and “derivatives” from the definition of hemp. This could mean that popular products such as hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) could be treated by the DEA as a Schedule 1 controlled substance — akin to heroin. Cynically, Senator Grassley also included language that would provide for “research” on medical marijuana — even though hemp products do not contain more than trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana and can’t get anyone high.”
Still, click on the link on the previous posr to keep Grassley from sneaking it in again.
Grassley’s corporate donors will not be pleased.
old-mind conditioned brains will not accept even the clearest truths and realities about cannabis cbd’s.. conditioned to bark by their handlers
on sensing key concepts contrary to the interests of big pharma, tobacco and alcohol, they will, attempt to use every means possible to retard, sabotage and misdirect ongoing rational cannabis law reforms..
simple as that..
others sharing co-conditioning factors such as certain religious and social conventions will also be co-opted into this rearguard response..
clear targets today, include all uses of natural cbd medicines and treatments, herbal cannabis, smoking herbal cannabis, home grows, sharing,
and anything else for which they have no patent, monopoly or control of manufacture and sales..
it only takes one person in a key position, such as pete sessions or certain state governors..
they know the wall is crumbling,, yet intend to and are continuing to protect their cash flows
and interests as long as possible..
keys now are vigilance,,
and voter turnout..
https://act.timcanova.com/page/s/the-election-integrity-and-justice-petition
Agreed, carl vagg.
Take Action!
https://engage.drugpolicy.org/secure/vote-tomorrow-stop-jeff-sessions’-drug-war-power-grab?ms=2A1_1806SITSAHouse&utm_campaign=fy19advocacy&cid=70141000000k79IAAQ&utm_medium=email&utm_source=061418XD_SITSAHouseVote-SGA&eml_name=061418XD_SITSAHouseVote&eml_id=34719820&af=8KO47ecY7hO876FuQNyOJcHlJlY3ZyhYLUJHODq%2Bw1ij%2Fjbph4gNvuoPQd%2FCfAU%2BE7gBtOOk87yYmZa4wZWgMhbH1OlR7xvXJLWiUaftiPxr1eYj1yZ%2Fv7g5NzdGF%2BVyaWSl4ZWDKqIZExrqDotFYiKd9mI83TJoOGk6Q%2FcXyE8%3D&spMailingID=34719820&spUserID=NTY3OTU3NTA2Nzk5S0&spJobID=1301427137&spReportId=MTMwMTQyNzEzNwS2
Friday Congress will vote on the SITSA Act that would give Jeff Sessions broad new regulatory powers to give drug sentence without Congressional approval, including banning ancient whole plant remedies for opioid addiction such as kratom.
While Trump touts supporting the STATES Act on one hand he’s amping up the drug war on another. If you love America and freedom click on the links!!