WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bipartisan legislation has been introduced that could invigorate the hemp industry. A bill authored by U.S. Reps. James Comer and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) would exempt industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act.

 

The legislation “creates a new category for hemp research at universities and state departments of agriculture, and allows for further commercialization of industrial hemp crops,” according to a press release issued by the Congressmen.

“I am honored to sponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act because I know firsthand the economic viability of industrial hemp,” said Comer, former state agriculture director who championed the crop.

“Hemp has created new opportunities for family farmers and good-paying jobs for American workers, especially in Kentucky.” The United States is currently the No. 1 importer of hemp fiber, most of which it receives from China and Canada. According to a 2005 Congressional Research Service report, the U.S. is the only developed nation that has not developed an industrial hemp crop for economic purposes.

Experts suggest the U.S. market for hemp products is approximately $600 million per year. Currently hemp that is grown can be sold for profit, but only if approved by a state’s agriculture authorities.

“Industrial hemp isn’t a new crop to the United States, but most Americans aren’t aware of the wide range of legitimate uses for it,” says Goodlatte. “By removing Industrial hemp from the definition of a controlled substance, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act will finally allow for responsible, commercial production of industrial hemp without fear of violating federal law.

This bipartisan legislation is the product  of many months of robust discussion with both lawmakers and stakeholders.”

The past few years have seen several advancements through state legislatures, with 31 states now recognizing hemp as an industrial crop. In 2014, industrial hemp received a boost from Congress when the farm bill allowed universities and state departments of agriculture to cultivate or conduct research as a part of a pilot program.

 

Last year, the U.S. more than doubled its 2015 production, with nearly 10,000 acres of domestic hemp planted in 15 states.

While the initiative is applauded by hemp groups around the country, some say that more could still have been done.

“We did our best to work with the bill sponsors to ensure that the bill would give states the authority to regulate hemp production and support all sectors of this growing industry. However, we are concerned with, and opposed to, several new provisions which were added to the bill and that we will work to remove or amend,” said Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp.

The provisions in question would allow the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to conduct administrative inspections of locations where there is production, storage, distribution or use of hemp; and another that would restrict the processing of hemp extracts.

“The DEA has obstructed the farm bill hemp program at every turn and should not be trusted to have a regulatory role,” said Steenstra, of the former provision. Of the latter, he said it “does not include any such plant, or part or derivative thereof, that has been altered so as to increase the delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration above the limits specified (above 0.3 percent THC).

“The previous bill language limited finished products to 0.3 percent THC but did not restrict extraction or processing that temporarily alters cannabinoid (CBD) levels prior to formulating a final product. If included in the final bill which is signed into law, this change will harm the nascent American CBD industry.”

This isn’t the first time Congress has taken up the issue of industrial hemp. In 2015, House Resolution 525 and Senate Bill 134 both died in committee without broad support from either party, but the bipartisan sponsorship bodes well for further advancement this round.

Both chambers are on a month-long recess and are expected to reconvene on Sept. 5, when the bill will likely head to the House Judiciary Committee, which is partly responsible for overseeing the Controlled Substance Act. Hemp is currently only legal in states with certified industrial hemp pilot programs.