GOP Congressman And Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Urge McConnell To Support Delaying Hemp THC Ban

A GOP congressman and the agriculture commissioner of Kentucky are
imploring a key Republican senator who helped lead the push to initially
federally legalize hemp before supporting the recriminalization of THC
products to back a proposed two-year delay on the implementation of a
policy that industry stakeholders say would upend the market.

As prohibitionists mount a pressure campaign in support of the forthcoming
recriminalization of most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, Rep. James
Comer (R-KY) and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell are
asking Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to join them in their fight to give hemp
businesses more time to navigate the critical policy change that’s
currently set to take effect in November.

“Kentucky has long been a national leader in hemp research, production, and
innovation—leadership made possible in large part by your historic efforts
to legalize industrial hemp at the federal level,” Comer—who also
previously served as Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner—and Shell said in
a letter sent to McConnell on Thursday. “Because of that leadership,
Kentucky farmers invested responsibly in this emerging crop, built
infrastructure, created jobs, and contributed to rural economic development
across the Commonwealth.”

But that progress is being jeopardized under appropriations legislation
President Donald Trump signed into law last year, with provisions that
would redefine what constitutes legal hemp in a way that would wipe out the
consumable cannabinoid product by imposing severe restrictions on THC
content.

“The provision included in the November [continuing resolution] has
introduced significant uncertainty into the marketplace at a critical
moment,” the congressman and commissioner wrote. “Hemp is an annual crop,
and farmers are making decisions now about seed, worker contracts,
financing, and acreage for the upcoming growing season. Without additional
time and clarity, many Kentucky producers face the risk of planting
decisions that could jeopardize the longterm viability of their farms.”

The two urged McConnell to throw his support behind a standalone bill
sponsored by Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) and 24 bipartisan cosponsors that would give
the hemp industry two more years before the federal ban on THC products
would take effect, which stakeholders hope will better position them to
negotiate a broader compromise with lawmakers.

Baird’s bill “would not resolve the broader policy questions surrounding
hemp, but it would provide farmers, processors, and regulators with the
certainty needed to plan responsibly while Congress considers a durable,
well-informed path forward,” Comer and Shell wrote. “This additional time
is essential to avoid unintended consequences for family farms and rural
communities that have acted in good faith under existing federal and state
law.”

“We respectfully ask that you allow space for this extension to move
forward and help ensure that Kentucky’s farmers are not placed at a
disadvantage through abrupt policy changes,” they said. “Doing so would
reaffirm Kentucky’s leadership in agriculture and honor the commitment made
to producers who answered the call to grow this crop.”

Whether McConnell will follow through on the officials’ request is yet to
be seen. While he championed hemp legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill
that Trump signed during his first term, the former Senate majority leader
has supported unraveling the hemp THC market that he’s described as an
unintended consequences of the broader agriculture legislation.

But hemp stakeholders are nonetheless encouraged by the proactive advocacy
from the Kentucky officials.

“This letter adds two important and influential voices to the growing
chorus of agricultural leaders in Kentucky who are begging Sen. McConnell
to reconsider his draconian effort to destroy hemp as a viable crop for
Kentucky farmers,” Jim Higdon, cofounder and chief communications officer
of the Kentucky-based Cornbread Hemp, told Marijuana Moment. “By
implementing a two-year extension, stakeholders can work with Congress to
find meaningful solutions to Sen. McConnell’s reasonable concerns without
destroying the entire industry.”

Meanwhile, anti-cannabis interests are calling on their supporters to keep
up pressure on Congress to maintain the THC ban without delay.

“Congress took an important step to protect youth last year when it enacted
new restrictions on intoxicating hemp products, but it is critical that
these new rules are implemented without delay,” the Partnership to End
Addiction (formerly the Partnership for a Drug Free America) said in a
recent action alert.

“Some members of the industry and of Congress are pushing to delay
implementation of this law, claiming that additional time is needed to
develop regulations,” the group said, adding that an “extension of the
implementation timeline could be included in the Farm Bill reauthorization
Congress is currently working on.”

To that end, the House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to mark up the
latest Farm Bill at a hearing on Monday.

“But a one-year implementation period is reasonable, providing time for
manufacturers and retailers to adjust and for regulators to prepare for
enforcement,” the Partnership said. “A delay would further entrench the
market and allow continued availability of dangerous products, leading to
more youth exposure and negative health consequences.”

“Send a letter to your members of Congress urging them to oppose efforts to
delay implementation of the new hemp definition and maintain the effective
date of the law to minimize the harm these intoxicating products can pose,
particularly for youth,” it said, providing a form to submit a pre-written
letter to congressional representatives.


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Meanwhile, last month, major alcohol retailers came together to encourage
Congress to delay the enactment of the law Trump signed that will federally
recriminalize hemp-derived THC beverages and other products.

The coalition says it wants to apply the same regulatory structure that
governs beverage alcohol producers, distributors and merchants to hemp
drinks “to ensure safe, transparent access.”

Other alcohol industry groups such as Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
have also backed regulating hemp products instead of prohibiting them.

*Read the letter from Comer and Shell on delaying the federal hemp THC ban
below:*

The post GOP Congressman And Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Urge
McConnell To Support Delaying Hemp THC Ban appeared first on Marijuana
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