Ron Paul Classic: Legalize Hemp

One of the only bright spots of last year’s farm bill is that it includes the production of hemp. This is a cause championed by Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul and Campaign for Liberty.

While in Congress, Dr. Paul introduced the Industrial Hemp Production Act, legislation that would have forbidden the federal government from enforcing federal laws prohibiting growing hemp in states that legalized hemp.

Here and below is Dr. Paul’s introductory remarks on the bill from 2011.

INTRODUCING THE INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMING ACT

                                ______

                           HON. RON PAUL

                               of texas

                   in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, May 11, 2011

 Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Industrial Hemp

Farming Act. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act requires the Federal

Government to respect State laws allowing the growing of industrial

hemp.

 Nine States–Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North

Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, and West Virginia–allow industrial hemp

production or research in accord with State laws. However, Federal law

is standing in the way of farmers in these States growing what may be a

very profitable crop. Because of current Federal law, all hemp included

in products sold in the United States must be imported instead of being

grown by American farmers.

 Since 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act’s inclusion of

industrial hemp in the schedule one definition of marijuana has

prohibited American farmers from growing industrial hemp despite the

fact that industrial hemp has such a low content of THC (the

psychoactive chemical in the related marijuana plant) that nobody can

be psychologically affected by consuming hemp. Federal law concedes the

safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use

as food.

 The United States is the only industrialized nation that prohibits

industrial hemp cultivation. The Congressional Research Service has

noted that hemp is grown as an established agricultural commodity in

approximately 30 nations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South

America. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act will relieve this unique

restriction on American farmers and allow them to grow industrial hemp

in accord with State law.

• Industrial hemp is a crop that was grown legally throughout the

United States for most of our Nation’s history. In fact, during World

War II, the Federal Government actively encouraged American farmers to

grow industrial hemp to help the war effort. The Department of

Agriculture even produced a film “Hemp for Victory” encouraging the

plant’s cultivation.

 In recent years, the hemp plant has been put to many popular uses in

foods and in industry. Grocery stores sell hemp seeds and oil as well

as food products containing oil and seeds from the hemp plant.

Industrial hemp is also included in consumer products such as paper,

cloths, cosmetics, carpet, and door frames of cars. Hemp has even been

used in alternative automobile fuel.

 It is unfortunate that the Federal Government has stood in the way of

American farmers competing in the global industrial hemp market.

Indeed, the founders of our Nation, some of whom grew hemp, would

surely find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and

profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the

constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained Federal Government.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and

cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.