McConnell inserts hemp provision into Senate farm appropriations bill
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has inserted into the Senate farm appropriations bill a provision aimed at making it easier to process legally grown industrial hemp. The measure would help farmers transport hemp between states so the crop can be developed for commercial purposes.
“Kentucky’s industrial hemp pilot programs continue to prosper, and I want to make sure our legal hemp producers can safely transport their crops between states, including to states that maintain processing facilities, so they can fully capitalize on the commercial potential for this commodity,” McConnell, R-Louisville, said in a news release from his Washington office. The provision “re-emphasizes that industrial hemp from a farm bill research program is an agricultural commodity,” he said.
State Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said the provision was vital to developing a thriving hemp industry in the state.
“The ability of Kentucky to research the full potential of industrial hemp through processing, marketing and sales is vital to understanding the future possibilities for industrial hemp,” Comer said.
