Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Chairman, the job of the DEA is not simple. The job of the DEA is to stop drug use and drug abuse in the United States.

Sometimes the job isn't easy. When it comes to hemp, the job is not easy because, Mr. Chairman, hemp and marijuana are both cannabis, and you can't tell the seeds from one another. And it may be difficult for the DEA to determine because they are supposed to determine that the seeds used for hemp are below a certain level of THC--less than 0.3--and you can't tell by looking. You have to test and make certain that these seeds are in fact going to be used and qualify for the purposes of these pilot hemp programs.

The fact of the matter is there really is no evidence that the DEA does not comply with Federal law. They are fully complying with Federal law. The author of the amendment himself admitted that the seeds were there in time for planting. The fact of the matter is that this is not an easy job.

Under section 7606 of the 2014 farm bill, industrial hemp in pilot projects was authorized. Clearly, DEA licenses are not needed if they are granted through the State departments of agriculture or academic institutions. And the programs are proceeding.

The fact of the matter is that this amendment obfuscates the distinction between marijuana and hemp. It partially ties the hands of DEA to do what they need to do, which is to function as controllers of drugs in this country.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Fleming).

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Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Chairman, let's review what we have. What we have is a situation where last year it wasn't the DEA that held up the seeds; it was getting an import license. And then subsequent to that, obviously the DEA had to test those seeds.

The U.S. Congress has set out a very clear plan for how we are going to increase the use of industrial hemp in this country, and it involves, first, pilot programs in States where it is legal, like Kentucky, like Oregon, but subject to the oversight under the Controlled Substances Act of the DEA.

The DEA has to be certain, since all seeds are now imported. Eventually, under this plan, they won't be. Obviously, at some point we will progress to a point where our industrial hemp seeds are grown here in the United States, but they are not now.

Importing seeds and testing them is not a quick process, but it is a process that has to be done. The fact of the matter is hemp and marijuana are both cannabis. They are related. You can't tell the seeds apart. You have to test these seeds.

Our drug problem is serious. I am glad I don't have to do the job the DEA does dealing with controlling drugs that destroy lives in this country. Sure, is it a process that sometimes might take time? Yes. But that time is well worth taking.

Down the road, we are going to get to the proper industrial hemp production. It has got to be done under controlled processes. The DEA has these in place. The Department of Agriculture has these protocols in place. State departments of agriculture do.

This amendment is just unnecessary. And worse than that, it obscures the fact that it could tie DEA's hands from doing what it needs to do, which is controlling dangerous substances.

I urge the body to reject the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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