Getting hemp over the hump of legalization

By Scott Wartman
Source: cincinnati.com

Industrial hemp could give state huge economic lift, supporters say, but also faces huge obstacles

The wide level of support in Kentucky for industrial hemp has raised hopes that the commonwealth could become one of the first and biggest producers of the crop in the United States.

First, though, the federal government would have to make it legal, and the General Assembly would need to pass legislation to regulate industrial hemp production.

Kentucky politicians at the federal and state level think both approvals could come soon.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has told state officials that he will lobby for a federal waiver of the federal ban on industrial hemp for Kentucky if the General Assembly passes legislation on hemp production.

Paul and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer have led the charge to make Kentucky the center of industrial hemp production that it was in the 19th Century.

“Sen. Paul came to my office last week, and we had a good long talk,” Comer said. “He’s very passionate about this issue. If we can pass this bill in Frankfort, he and I and Congressmen Massie and Yarmuth are going to go to work and meet with the Obama administration to get a waiver for a pilot project.

“Here’s a situation where we have a crop that is making huge impressions economically all over the world, because more and more uses are being invented every day. Companies like Toyota make auto parts out of industrial hemp instead of plastic.... Here’s an opportunity for Kentucky to be a leader.”

State Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, told the Associated Press that he intends to bring his industrial hemp bill up for a vote in the Senate Agriculture Committee he co-chairs: “I feel very good about getting through the Senate Ag Committee. I feel very good (about its prospects) in the full Senate.”

The state measure enjoys support from both Republicans and Democrats. Comer said he’s confident the Senate has enough votes to pass Hornback’s bill and thinks he has enough support in the House as well.

State Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, a former U.S. marshal and jailer, has supported industrial hemp legislation since he first joined the state Senate in 2008.

“Each year I’ve noticed more support for it,” Schickel said. “Now, with the new commissioner of agriculture supporting it and the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee introducing the bill, I think there’s more support than ever. Kentucky needs to position itself so that when the federal ban is lifted, we can take full economic advantage quickly.”

Concerns linger

Some lawmakers in the House, however, have expressed reservations. Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo said recently it would be difficult to pass the bill since it doesn’t have the support of the Kentucky State Police.

State Rep. Tom McKee, D-Cynthiana, said he shares some law enforcement concerns about the bill and said nothing can be done until the federal government lifts the ban on hemp. McKee chairs the House Agriculture Committee and said he will allow the bill to come up for a vote. But each time an industrial hemp bill has come before the committee, the House Agriculture Committee has voted it down.

“A lot of people in the General Assembly House and Senate have a lot of questions not answered, including the viability and what it takes to grow the crop and what the profitability of the crop is,” McKee said. “It’s too soon to say what will happen.”

Kentucky State Police officials have said legalizing industrial hemp will make identifying illegal marijuana crops harder.

Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant species but have genetic differences. Industrial hemp has trace amounts of THC, the chemical that gives marijuana users a high. Both plants look identical, though, and require lab testing to determine which is which, said Sgt. Rick Saint-Blancard, KSP spokesman.

“It presents the burden of proof on law enforcement that could bring the judicial system to a halt,” Saint-Blancard said. “Our lab is not equipped for that. The chemical testing start-up cost is extremely high.”

Businesses support hemp

Despite law enforcement concerns, many organizations have endorsed the legislation for industrial hemp. In the past month, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky County Judge-executives Association endorsed Hornback’s legislation.

The industrial hemp industry creates too many job opportunities to ignore, said Bryan Sunderland, spokesman with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Sunderland did say they want to see safeguards enacted to make sure the hemp crops are distinct from the illicit marijuana crops.

“The United States is the No. 1 consumer of industrial hemp, but no one can grow it in the U.S.,” Sunderland said. “That in effect means if you buy those products, you contribute to the national trade deficit. There are products that can be made, and there is money to made growing it.”

Comer and other supporters of industrial hemp say the crop would cross-pollinate and dilute the illegal crop.

Hornback’s bill will get a hearing in the state Senate on Feb. 11, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is expected to speak.

“We can be the Silicon Valley of industrial hemp,” Comer said. “It can lead to a manufacturing revolution in Kentucky because so many products can be made from this crop.”