Tagged: industrial hemp

Gov. Steve Beshear says he wants law enforcement's concerns about industrial hemp resolved before Kentucky moves ahead with a push to grow the plant.

State police oppose state Republican leaders’ effort to license and regulate hemp if the federal government ever lifts a ban on it.  Beshear says the Legislature needs to weigh law enforcement's concerns carefully, given Kentucky’s horrible drug problem.

An industrial hemp bill that sailed through the Kentucky Senate is facing a more skeptical House. The top House leader has doubts about the crop and a committee chairman has lots of questions. The bill's next stop is expected in the House Agriculture Committee. Its chairman, Tom McKee, hasn't made up his mind about the bill, which would regulate the crop if the federal government lifts its ban on hemp.

The state Senate has passed a bill aimed at creating a hemp industry in Kentucky, though the bill's future appears to lack the support of key government leaders.

FRANKFORT — After testimony from a bevy of high-level supporters, the state Senate agriculture committee unanimously approved Monday a bill that would establish oversight for Kentucky  industrial hemp farmer if hemp were made legal federally.

The industrial hemp debate will resume in Frankfort later this morning.  A bill seeking a pilot project for hemp in Kentucky will be discussed in a Senate committee.  Carrying the ball for putting hemp in farmer’s fields is Agriculture Commissioner James Comer.

 “We find new uses every day for industrial hemp," he says. "It’s a green crop.  It’s something that is replacing plastic in the automotive industry.  You can make paper with industrial hemp, textiles, cosmetics and lotions, bio fuels.”