Efforts to attach hemp language to Senate farm bill fails

Efforts to attach hemp language to Senate farm bill fails

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Advocates for industrial hemp, Kentucky U.S. senators Sen. Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul were unsuccessful in trying to re-establish industrial hemp has a legal crop in the Senate farm bill.

Their amendment aimed to lift federal restrictions on growing industrial hemp. The federal government classifies hemp as a controlled substance along with marijuana. Kentucky’s legislature recently passed a bill to allow hemp to be grown, but federal law restricts hemp to be grown, despite support from the state.

McConnell and Paul blasted the Senate-majority Democrats for blocking consideration for additional amendments to the farm bill. Both senators say they will oppose the Senate farm bill legislation as a result and continue with their campaign.

"This year's Senate farm bill is in need of serious improvement and the refusal to allow better ideas and more sensible allocations of taxpayer dollars to be considered is very disappointing," McConnell and Paul said in a joint statement.