[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 56 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E860-E861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 2, 2009

  Mr. PAUL. Madam 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.
  Eight States--Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North 
Dakota, 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

[[Page E861]]

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 
over 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, and carpet. One of the more innovative recent uses 
of industrial hemp is in the door frames of about 1.5 million 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, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, 
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.

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