The US Senate passed legislation Thursday 6/28/18 by a vote of 86 – 11 that would legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell…
“I have heard from many Kentucky farmers who agree it’s time to remove the federal hurdles and give our state the opportunity to seize its full potential and once again become the national leader for hemp production. That is why I strongly advocated for this measure to be included in the Farm Bill,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement after the bill passed.
McConnell, as well as Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), introduced their hemp legislation as a stand-alone bill in April, before getting it included in the Senate’s farm bill.
McConnell also stated that “for far too long, the federal government has prevented most farmers from growing hemp.”
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), one of Congress’s most ardent opponents of marijuana law reform, threatened to pursue serious changes to the bill’s hemp provisions on the floor. He wanted to remove the legalization of derivatives of the cannabis plant, such as cannabidiol (CBD), which is used by many people for medical purposes. But Grassley never ended up filing a floor amendment.
Hemp legalization has broad bipartisan support
The bill would legalize hemp and remove it from the federal list of controlled substances. This would allow it to be sold as an agricultural commodity.
DEA to hopefully change CBD scheduling within 90 days.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced Monday June 25, 2018 the approval of the first cannabis based prescription medication.
The medicine is called Epidiolex and is a plant-derived oral solution of cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a chemical component of marijuana that does not cause intoxication or a euphoric high. The London based GW Pharmaceuticals plc, is expecting another significant decision where the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassifies CBD.
This could unlock the opportunity to other marijuana-derived medications as well as ease restrictions on other cannabis research.
Senators Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., cheered the passage of their bipartisan Senate resolution designating June 4-10 “Hemp History Week.”
(1) an overview of the threat FOV Race 4 poses to the
cotton industry in the United States;
(2) the status and progress of Federal research initiatives
to detect, contain, or eradicate FOV Race 4, including current
FOV Race 4-specific research projects; and
(3) a comprehensive strategy to combat FOV Race 4 that
establishes—
(A) detection and identification goals;
(B) containment goals;
(C) eradication goals; and
(D) a plan to partner with the cotton industry in the
United States to maximize resources, information sharing,
and research responsiveness and effectiveness.
SEC. 7605. MISCELLANEOUS TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
Sections 7408 and 7409 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–246; 122 Stat. 2013) are both amended by striking ‘‘Title III of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994’’ and inserting ‘‘Title III of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994’’.
SEC. 7606. LEGITIMACY OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP RESEARCH.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the Controlled Substances
Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.), chapter 81 of title 41,
United States Code, or any other Federal law, an institution of
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or a State department of agriculture
may grow or cultivate industrial hemp if—
(1) the industrial hemp is grown or cultivated for purposes
of research conducted under an agricultural pilot program or
other agricultural or academic research; and
(2) the growing or cultivating of industrial hemp is allowed
under the laws of the State in which such institution of higher
education or State department of agriculture is located and
such research occurs.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) AGRICULTURAL PILOT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘agricultural
pilot program’’ means a pilot program to study the growth,
cultivation, or marketing of industrial hemp
(A) in States that permit the growth or cultivation of industrial hemp under the laws of the State; and
(B) in a manner that—
(i) ensures that only institutions of higher education
and State departments of agriculture are used
to grow or cultivate industrial hemp;
(ii) requires that sites used for growing or cultivating
industrial hemp in a State be certified by, and
registered with, the State department of agriculture;
and
(iii) authorizes State departments of agriculture
to promulgate regulations to carry out the pilot program
in the States in accordance with the purposes
of this section.
(2) INDUSTRIAL HEMP.—The term ‘‘industrial hemp’’ means
the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant,
whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol
7 USC 5940. 7 USC 2241a, 3125a note.
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PUBLIC LAW 113–79—FEB. 7, 2014 128 STAT. 913
concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight
basis.
(3) STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—The term ‘‘State
department of agriculture’’ means the agency, commission, or
department of a State government responsible for agriculture
within the State.
TITLE VIII—FORESTRY
Subtitle A—Repeal of Certain Forestry
Programs
SEC. 8001. FOREST LAND ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM.
(a) REPEAL.—Section 4 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103) is repealed.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.
Section 8002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171; 16 U.S.C. 2103 note) is amended by striking subsection (a). SEC. 8002. WATERSHED FORESTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. Section 6 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103b) is repealed.
SEC. 8003. EXPIRED COOPERATIVE NATIONAL FOREST PRODUCTS
MARKETING PROGRAM.
Section 18 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978
(16 U.S.C. 2112) is repealed.
SEC. 8004. HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION AGRICULTURAL LAND NATIONAL RESOURCES LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. Section 8402 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (16 U.S.C. 1649a) is repealed.
SEC. 8005. TRIBAL WATERSHED FORESTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6542) is repealed.
SEC. 8006. SEPARATE FOREST SERVICE DECISIONMAKING AND
APPEALS PROCESS.(a) REPEAL.—Section 322 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1612 note; Public Law 102–381) is repealed.
(b) FOREST SERVICE PRE-DECISIONAL OBJECTION PROCESS.—
Section 428 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2012 (16 U.S.C. 6515 note; Public Law 112–74) shall not apply
to any project or activity implementing a land and resource management plan developed under section 6 of the Forest and Range land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604) that is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
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