Frankfort, Ky. - For the first time in a decade and with a packed house on hand, the Kentucky Hemp Commission convened at Agriculture Commissioner James Comer’s office Nov. 14.
The commission was originally created by statute in 2001 to explore the possibilities of raising a legal hemp crop in Kentucky and the economical impact it would have.
But numerous attempts by various state lawmakers over the last ten years have proven futile in getting any kind of bill passed. However, with the legalization of industrial hemp high on Comer’s list of legislative initiatives for the 2013 General Assembly, the idea of growing hemp has grown new legs.
Comer opened the meeting by saying what a historic day it was in Kentucky. “This commission is going to meet and do what we’re required by statute to do,” he said. “This is an exciting issue in agriculture and hopefully will impact future farmers for years and years. I sincerely believe industrial hemp can be a viable option for our farmers for many generations to come and I also believe we can create badly needed jobs in the manufacturing sector with this crop. ”
Comer was joined by U.S. Senator Rand Paul at this year’s state fair to announce their support of legislation that would allow hemp to once again be raised in the state. Paul is a co-sponsor of federal legislation to allow hemp to be grown in the U.S.
While the junior Kentucky senator did not appear at this meeting he did send a representative, Mica Sims who announced a donation of $50,000 from Paul’s political action committee to the operation of the commission.
Paul said in a statement that Kentucky needs jobs and industrial hemp could create thousands of production and manufacturing jobs and the state could be the first in line for them.
Also present at the meeting was David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a $50 million a year company that makes natural soap products and utilizes imported hemp seed oil. Bronner also donated $50,000 to the commission.
“We really see industrial hemp as a sustainable, ecological crop. We’re big advocates for organic farming and hemp doesn’t need a lot of pesticides or herbicides,” he said. “There has been a global renaissance over the last 10 years and the United States is the largest consumer market for hemp seed and fiber products yet American farmers are being systematically denied. In the middle of the greatest recession, we’re continuing to hand the world’s largest market to Canadian farmers and Chinese farmers and it’s ridiculous.”
State Rep. Tom McKee, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee and is a farmer from Harrison County is serving on the commission. He said even with this new effort there will still be many questions about raising hemp but his committee is open to looking at new crops and new profit potentials for state farmers. He also said that addressing the concerns about the crop with law enforcement officials would be very important.
“I think we have to get law enforcement on board before we are going to be successful,” he said.
Police officials across the state have long voiced concerned about industrial hemp and it’s relationship with marijuana. While being different varieties, both plants are from the same species.
Major Anthony Terry of the Kentucky State Police is another member of the committee. He said some of the reservations law enforcement has with the growing of hemp is being able to identify who is legally growing the crop and those cultivating marijuana as well as the work and costs involved when plants have to be tested to determine what is hemp and what is not.
Terry is an example of the diversity of the commission which includes, in addition to law enforcement and lawmakers, hemp industry leaders, education leaders and even representation from the tobacco industry. Comer referred to them as a top-notch, quality, new hemp commission.
Eric Steenstra is president of the non-profit Vote Hemp, a group dedicated to getting the laws changed so that American farmers can once again grow hemp. He briefly addressed the committee and said from a national perspective Kentucky has become one of the top states pushing to get the initiative passed thanks to the efforts of Comer and Paul.
“I think it is great because of the long history Kentucky has with industrial hemp,” he said. The state once led the country in hemp production.
Steenstra also said although hemp can’t be grown in the U.S., it can be imported so data as it relates to the economics of the crop is available.
“We estimate that just in seed products alone there is about $130 million to $150 million annually of retail sales,” he said.
Craig Lee is an original member of the commission and worked with the late former governor Louie Nunn, who became a huge advocate for the legalization of industrial hemp. He said Nunn once told him to never let the commission die.
“It means a lot being an activist and doing things to advocate for something like this, but it means more when you look up and there is a constitutional officer that is running on the issue because he’s listened to somebody, he’s heard somebody, he’s had an awakening and thank goodness for the commissioner of agriculture, James Comer,” Lee said.
With a short legislative session just around the corner, the commission will meet again before the end of the year in hopes of getting together a piece of legislation for the General Assembly to consider.