Two bills introduced in Congress this month seek to amend the U.S. Controlled Substance Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of the marijuana drug.
The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 would legalize hemp farming on a federal level and allow states to regulate the crop.
Companion bills to legalize hemp have been introduced in the House and Senate and have bipartisan support. If successfully negotiated in committee, a final bill would go to a vote of the Congress and then the president's desk.
In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). In the House it was introduced by Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).
"The federal ban on hemp has been a waste of taxpayer dollars that ignores science, suppresses innovation, and subverts the will of states that have chosen to incorporate this versatile crop into their economies," Polis said.
Sen. Paul agreed, adding that "allowing farmers throughout our nation to cultivate hemp and benefit from its many uses will boost our economy and bring much-needed jobs to the agriculture industry."
In Montezuma County, two farmers took part in the state program, and grew 100 acres of experimental hemp. The pilot farms had marginal success, in part because of poor seed quality.
A major hurdle for Colorado hemp farmers has been procuring a viable seed stock that is genetically designed to flourish in the Southwest.