Contact Your Congressman to Support Hemp Amendment to Farm Bill

Dear Colleague:

Every year, U.S. retailers sell over $300 million worth of products containing hemp seeds and fibers. Hemp finds its way into more than 25,000 different products around the world, from lotions to protein bars to auto parts to fuel.

But because of outdated laws preventing the growth and cultivation of industrial hemp in the United States, American farmers can’t grow hemp. It’s all imported. What’s more, our institutions of higher education can’t even grow or cultivate hemp for research purposes.

Our bipartisan amendment is simple: It allows colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes. It only applies in states where industrial hemp growth and cultivation is already legal.

Hemp is not marijuana. Our amendment defines industrial hemp as a product containing less than 0.3 percent THC. At this concentration, and even at much higher concentrations, it is physically impossible to use hemp as a drug.

From Colorado to Kentucky to Oregon, voters across the country have made it clear that they believe industrial hemp should be regulated as agricultural commodity, not a drug. At the very least, we should allow our universities—the greatest in the world—to research the potential benefits and downsides of this important agricultural resource.

We urge you to support this bipartisan, common-sense amendment. For more information, please contact Adam Lowenstein with Rep. Polis (5-2161, adam.lowenstein@mail.house.gov), Stephen Johnson with Rep. Massie (5-3465, stephen.johnson@mail.house.gov), or Stephanie Phillips with Rep. Blumenauer (5-4811, stephanie.phillips@mail.house.gov).

Sincerely,

Jared Polis

Member of Congress

Thomas Massie

Member of Congress

Earl Blumenauer

Member of Congress

• Industrial Hemp Farm Bill Amendment Text
• Forbes Magazine: Industrial Hemp a Win-Win
• Governor of Kentucky asks Obama for Help with Hemp

• CRS Report:  Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity (2013)
• Fact Sheet: Industrial Hemp Farming Act
• S. 359, the Senate Industrial Hemp Farming Act.  Senators McConnell, Wyden, Paul, Merkley.
• H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act 40 Bipartisan Cosponsors.

Vote Hemp Links

• Twenty States have Introduced Hemp Legislation in 2013
• Stakeholder Sign-On Letter
• Hemp History Week, June 3-9, 2013