Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARR. In 2013, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 50, which exempted industrial hemp from the State's Controlled Substances Act but also mandated that Kentucky follow all Federal rules and regulations with respect to industrial hemp.
So, last year, I was proud to support an amendment to the 2014 farm bill, sponsored by my fellow Kentuckian, Congressman Thomas Massie, which authorized State departments of agriculture in States where industrial hemp is legal to administer industrial hemp pilot programs for the purposes of research and development.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture Industrial Hemp Pilot Research Program, in collaboration with my constituent, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, has since facilitated through permitted farmers the cultivation of nearly 2,000 acres of hemp this year alone in Kentucky.
Hemp is an important crop that holds tremendous commercial promise in Kentucky. In fact, former Speaker of the House Henry Clay was a large producer of industrial hemp. It can be used for food, horse bedding, animal feed, textiles, oils, lotions, cosmetics, rope, pharmaceuticals, et cetera.
Just last week, I met with a very sophisticated partnership of entrepreneurs, tobacco farmers, botanists, and even former law enforcement officials who have put up their own capital to invest in permanent industrial hemp projects, which they believe can spark a very profitable business.
This is about jobs.
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Mr. BARR. To my good friend from Maryland, Dr. Harris, just a quick response. We are talking about State-licensed programs where the law enforcement officials in Kentucky can identify permitted land where this hemp is grown. If it is on an unpermitted place, whether it is otherwise legal industrial hemp or marijuana, it would be illegal if it is not on a permitted piece of property. So there is no conflict with law enforcement.
But the fact of the matter is that last year the DEA delayed the seeds and delayed the planting of this legitimate, lawful, federally authorized industrial hemp project.
This is about jobs. This is not about marijuana. In fact, as my voting record just demonstrated in the last series of votes, I voted against every single amendment that would have decriminalized or facilitated marijuana. This is not about marijuana. This is about low-THC industrial hemp, and it is about jobs.
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