On June 23, Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, a bill that would allow states to regulate industrial hemp farming while freeing U.S. farmers from federal restrictions on this versatile and profitable crop. The Bill itself is simple. It changes the definition of “marijuana” in Federal statutes to exclude material with less than 3/10 of a percent of THC, the psychoactive ingredient.
Please contact your Representative in the House this week and ask them to sign on. There will not be a Bill Number until formal introduction on Thursday.
The last licenses to produce hemp in the United states were issued in 1957.
Update [2005-6-20 16:34:36 by ben masel]: Link fixed
Numerous individual states have expressed interest in industrial hemp. Twenty-six states have introduced hemp legislation and six (Hawaii, Montana, Kentucky, North Dakota, West Virginia and Maine) have removed barriers to its production. Rep. Paul’s bill would allow laws in these states regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp to take effect.
Follow the progress of this legislation at: http://VoteHemp.com.
For a vast collection on the history of Wisconsin’s Hemp industry, and analysis of it’s future prospects, see Dr. Dave’s Hemp Archives.