Polis, Massie Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate Federal Ban on Hemp Production

Press Release

A bipartisan group of more than 40 representatives led by Reps. Jared Polis (CO-02), Thomas Massie (KY-04), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48), and Kurt Schrader (OR-05) introduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act on Wednesday, a bill to eliminate the federal ban on hemp production and bring the crop back to American agriculture.

"The federal ban on hemp has been a waste of taxpayer dollars that ignores science, suppresses innovation, and subverts the will of states that have chosen to incorporate this versatile crop into their economies," said Representative Polis. "I am hopeful that Congress will build on last year's progress on hemp research and pilot programs by passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act to allow this historical American crop to once again thrive on our farmlands."

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act would remove industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and require the federal government to respect state laws that allow farmers to grow the crop. The United States is currently the only developed nation in the world that outlaws domestic hemp production.

The bill follows two successful amendments in the 113th Congress to limit federal interference in state-legal industrial hemp programs. One amendment, authored by Polis and passed as part of the Agriculture Act of 2014, allows colleges and universities to grow industrial hemp for research purposes if permitted under state law. A second amendment, authored by Massie and passed as part of last month's government spending bill, prohibits the Drug Enforcement Administration from using federal funds to interfere in these research programs.

A bipartisan Senate companion to the Industrial Hemp Farming Act has also been introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

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