By JAMIE SEARS RAWLINGS

Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — In further support of the state’s growing hemp industry, members of the Kentucky state legislature are considering a resolution asking Congress to remove what they believe is a major barrier to the crop’s commercialization.

House Concurrent Resolution 35, sponsored by Rep. DJ Johnson (R-Daviess), urges Congress to “amend the federal Controlled Substances Act to remove hemp from the definition of marijuana.”

HCR 35 is backed strongly by Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who has championed the growth of industrial hemp in his state, growing the research program to 12,018 acres in 2018 with an additional 681,000 square feet of indoor greenhouse space dedicated to expansion of the crop.

“I strongly support Representative DJ Johnson’s effort to urge Congress to act and remove industrial hemp from the federal list of controlled substances,” he said. “This is by and large the largest obstacle to providing certainty to Kentucky industrial hemp farmers and processors across our state.”

Quarles believes removal of hemp from the federal act will further open doors for his state’s agriculture industry. “In Kentucky, we have built the model for industrial hemp research by working with our farmers, processors and our law enforcement community.

“Because of the prior work done by the General Assembly and my administration, Kentucky is well positioned to be the epicenter of industrial hemp production when and if Congress removes it from the federal list of controlled substances.”

As author of the resolution, Johnson agrees, saying it is imperative to give producers opportunity for growth – growth that is already happening in his district, which has many participants in the state’s hemp research program.

“Agriculture is one of the most important, if not the most important, economic sector in our state,” he said. “It is important that we look for every opportunity to expand our agricultural base. Industrial hemp has the potential to be a great option for our farmers; as such, we owe it to our farmers to provide every opportunity for them to explore this exciting crop.”

HCR 35 passed the state House and was unanimously passed by the Senate’s Standing Committee on Agriculture. Johnson is confident legislative support for his resolution will continue.

“I definitely hope and expect it to be approved by the full Senate and signed by the Governor,” he said. “The strong support to date shows that the vast majority of the legislature recognizes the potential of industrial hemp for our state.”

For hemp producer Josh Hendrix, HCR 35 is the latest in what he calls unwavering support for his industry from Kentucky officials.

“Being able to bring hemp production back with the history our state has, as well as the history we are creating, and thanks to the support of Commissioner Quarles and Congressman (James) Comer and (U.S.) Senator (Mitch) McConnell and Senator (Rand) Paul and Congressman (Thomas) Massie, Kentucky has positioned themselves to really be at the forefront,” he said.

“I think the important thing is seeing their support not only continue but continue to grow and not waver in some of these troublesome times when it comes to getting legislation passed in D.C. and in state legislatures across the country.”

Hendrix, who was part of the pilot program for three years, is also the founder and a board member of the Kentucky Hemp Industries Assoc. He and his organization hope that Kentucky’s outreach to Congress will help forward HR 3530, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which was introduced in July 2017 by Republican U.S. Reps. Comer and Massie, Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).

Once the relationship between hemp and marijuana is severed, Hendrix believes his state will really begin to see the true potential of the push to capture the market on production.

“We’ve got to see where the marketplace takes us, but I think seeing the large-scale commodity years from now both from the food side and the fiber side, is really the expansion of this is going to be about both quality and quantity,” he said. “The descheduling of hemp will really help commercialize that, and then we’ll see just how big this can be and what other industries this hemp plant, the stalk, the seed and the flower can compete with.”