Signs of change DrugWarRant / Pete Guither / 2,6,2013 Kentucky and industrial hemp. Here's a video of a hour-long discussion on TV about industrial hemp in Kentucky, including the agriculture commissioner and police commissioner. And there is significant political support. Mitch McConnell Joins Rand Paul In Supporting Industrial Hemp In Kentucky “I am convinced that allowing its production will be a positive development for Kentucky's farm families and economy,†McConnell said in a statement. “The utilization of hemp to produce everything from clothing to paper is real and if there is a capacity to center a new domestic industry in Kentucky that will create jobs in these difficult economic times that sounds like a good thing to me.†McConnell joins fellow Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R), half of the state's six-member congressional delegation and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in supporting the push. Of course, there's the usual push-back from law enforcement leadership who seem convinced that their officers are just too stupid to be trained to tell the difference between 10 acres of hemp and a marijuana grow-op. Kentucky is going to be a battle to watch. Call them the Pot People Over in Washington, even local newscasters are coming to grips with the notion that marijuana can be a normal business concern complete with lobbyists, just like everything else. VIDEO
Always love your posts Clay. I read about this last night, they're also thinking about putting mj legalization before their Congress. Either way it's all good news for us!
Kentucky needs to find a replacement for Tobacco. Kentucky was a major hemp producer in the past. Financially they are as broke as California. It makes a lot of sense. Which is why it probably will not happen!
Any state that grows soy beans should support legal hemp..... why you ask? When they brought Kudzu over from Japan (for erosion control) in the southern states (Alabama, Georgia, etc) they also brought the Kudzu beetle, which is really hard to kill (think even more powerful insecticides, used more often, with little effect) and has been found as far north as ...................wait for it............ Kentucky --and the only thing the Kudzu beetle likes better than Kudzu?? SOY BEANS The farmers need a 4 year rotation of crops to prevent re-infestation... here in Illinois the farmers grow Corn, Beans, and some times alfalfa....hemp would be a great 4th crop.......
We've got plenty of funding. Our state is just too conservative to spend any of it, or spend correctly what is spent. I think we've got a good chance to be one of the next states to legalize since a lot of weed is grown here anyways.
The government is also showing their hand as the buffoons they are. 2011, there was supposed to be 250 million gallons of non-corn biolfuel produced, and 500 million gallons in 2012. They then lowered it to 8.65 million gallons in 2012, and lo and behold, even that was too much. Court Strikes Down EPA Biofuel Mandate One interesting thing in that article: What I find interesting is the view of the government in the way it views interstate commerce and justifies marijuana prohibition based on that clause. There is no current "pot market" either, and interstate commerce states that markets which could be affected in other states are then brought into the fold of interstate commerce clause. Well, if you cannot force companies to use a product which does not exits (cellulosic biofuels) how can the government "protect" pot markets which don't even exist and cite interstate commerce?? Ahhh....tax credits expiring: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/28...ng-winners-and-losers-in-the-energy-industry/ I strongly suspect this Senator has backers currently seeing these tax credits going straight into their pockets while not having to produce that mandated amounts of energy. More corruption and special interests, as usual. More: http://www.heritage.org/research/re...act-of-energy-freedom-and-economic-prosperity
I love it when the caller to the KY panel brings up that law enforcement doesn't concentrate on the three prescription overdose deaths per day in KY are not a priority for law enforcement. They respond by saying the people abusing prescription drugs all got started by using marijuana. Is there anything that marijuana isn't blamed for? Then he goes on rambling about how kids are going to use the hemp to add weight to their illegal grows, increase violence around the hemp fields, etc. The moderator asks him directly if there's any evidence this in any other part of the world. He says no. Basically just made it all up because that's what methamphetamine users do for chem tanks around soy bean fields. Of course, soy beans are still legal. Overall it's just amazing to me that our species has used hemp for thousands and thousands years and here are a bunch of serious adults sitting around having a heated debate about whether or not we can use it for anything or if it's safe or not. This is further evidence we share a common ancestor with apes.