Legislative History: Industrial Hemp Farming Act
Legislative History on Industrial Hemp Farming
Charles Hagan
January 30’Th 2013
Ahagan7@students.kennesaw.edu
Society has often times refused prosperity when prosperity was knocking on the front door of broken down economies. There have been moments in this nation’s history when government’s interests conflicted with its constituencies’ interests. Such is the case for the United States Federal Government’s policy on cannabis, where some 70 odd years ago they decided that all hemp farming and anything involving cannabis at all is illegal, shutting down a source of farming that has countless beneficial uses. Billions of dollars over the years were never earned due to scare tactics from special interests in the 1930’s, a policy that needs urgent reversal (Krider 1). Hemp farming, with it’s cultivated uses from plastics, to medicine, to fuel, to paper and textile uses, should not only be legal in the United States, but encouraged.
For reasons of the previously mentioned multi-industrial uses and increased tax revenues, I am pursuing legislative change to allow and subsidize hemp farming and cultivation in the United States, to rival China, Canada and other nations who lead the market in this category. The United States has millions of acres of land, both public and private, that are prime for hemp farming, and since hemp is naturally more resistant to weeds and insects it does not need the pesticides and fertilizers that corn, cotton and other crops constantly require (Smith-Hesters 1). According to a study by the Research Foundation, “Corn farmers received $51 billion in subsidies between 1995 and 2005; wheat farmers were given $21 billion; cotton farmers fleeced taxpayers for $15 billion; and tobacco farmers were handed $530 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies” (Smith-Hesters 1). Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, talked about the economic gains to be had, “With the U.S. hemp industry valued at over $400 million in annual retail sales and
Charles Hagan
January 30’Th 2013
Ahagan7@students.kennesaw.edu
Society has often times refused prosperity when prosperity was knocking on the front door of broken down economies. There have been moments in this nation’s history when government’s interests conflicted with its constituencies’ interests. Such is the case for the United States Federal Government’s policy on cannabis, where some 70 odd years ago they decided that all hemp farming and anything involving cannabis at all is illegal, shutting down a source of farming that has countless beneficial uses. Billions of dollars over the years were never earned due to scare tactics from special interests in the 1930’s, a policy that needs urgent reversal (Krider 1). Hemp farming, with it’s cultivated uses from plastics, to medicine, to fuel, to paper and textile uses, should not only be legal in the United States, but encouraged.
For reasons of the previously mentioned multi-industrial uses and increased tax revenues, I am pursuing legislative change to allow and subsidize hemp farming and cultivation in the United States, to rival China, Canada and other nations who lead the market in this category. The United States has millions of acres of land, both public and private, that are prime for hemp farming, and since hemp is naturally more resistant to weeds and insects it does not need the pesticides and fertilizers that corn, cotton and other crops constantly require (Smith-Hesters 1). According to a study by the Research Foundation, “Corn farmers received $51 billion in subsidies between 1995 and 2005; wheat farmers were given $21 billion; cotton farmers fleeced taxpayers for $15 billion; and tobacco farmers were handed $530 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies” (Smith-Hesters 1). Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, talked about the economic gains to be had, “With the U.S. hemp industry valued at over $400 million in annual retail sales and
Cited: Page Smith-Hesters, Skaidra. "Study: U.S. Hemp Ban Hurts Environment, Economy." (2008): 1. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. <http://reason.org/news/show/1002979.html>. Krider, Sheree. " The rebirth of U.S. Hemp Farming should start in Kentucky! Support The Industrial Hemp Farming Act leave a comment » Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are seeking to allow for the commercial farming of industrial hemp by introducing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.." (2012): 1. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. <http://usindustrialhemp.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/support-the-industrial-hemp-farming-act/>. United States. The Library of Congress. Bill Summary and Status (2011-2012) H.R. 1831. Web. <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.1831:>. United States. The Library of Congress. Bill Summary and Status (2011-2012) S. 3501. 2012. Web. <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:s.03501:>. "State Legislation." Vote Hemp. Vote Hemp, n.d. Web. 29 Jan 2013. <http://www.votehemp.com/state.html>. "DEA Hemp Food Rules." Vote Hemp. Vote Hemp, n.d. Web. 29 Jan 2013. <http://www.votehemp.com/legal_cases_DEA.html