Don’t Travel with a Farm Boy…And Other Lessons from Hemp Lobbying in DC

James Comer, hemp, and the Fiddler on the Roof

When my alarm clock rang this morning at 4:30, my first thought was to remind myself — never again travel with a farm boy.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and I left on a 6 AM flight for DC this morning to begin our lobbying efforts on behalf of hemp legalization.  Comer who’s run a beef cattle farm since he was old enough to…uh, what exactly do you do on a beef cattle farm?  Well, it is clear that like most farmers — who Paul Harvey eloquently stated were created by God on the eighth day — beef cattle farmers like Comer like to get up really early — way too early for this city slicker.

But fortunately Comer’s early waking habits have put us in good shape for a full day’s of productive meetings in Washington.  While we will meet with an alphabet soup of federal agencies this afternoon — EPA, DOE, USDA, CEQ, WTF — we have started meeting with experts on the issue:  Michael Bowman, who has led the successful fight for hemp legalization in Colorado, and Eric Steenstra, who leads Vote Hemp, one of the leading national organizations supporting hemp legalization.

One early lesson:  A key focus of our efforts will be to seeking an amendment of the Farm Bill with hemp legalization language.

So, as we head back into our meetings, please help us out. Here are three very simple things that you can do — right now, at your computer — to register your support for legalized industrial hemp and pressure Washington to fulfill the people’s will:

1. Contact your Senators to urge them to co-sponsor and support S. 359, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013. introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY) that would exclude hemp from the definition of marijuana and allow states to legalize and regulate the product.
2. Contact your Congressman and urge him or her to co-sponsor the companion bill in the House, H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013, introduced by Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY).
3. Sign the following petition to President Obama, urging his Administration to lift the barriers to legalized hemp:

Latest Signatures

263	Mike Vondra	Plover, Wisconsin	Feb 14, 2015
262	jacquelyn Bishop	White Plains, NY	Jul 19, 2014
261	George Pilling	Ormond Beach, Florida	Nov 11, 2013
260	Robert Sasick	Bellvue, Colorado	Jul 24, 2013
259	Charles Kelly	Lexington, KY	Jul 10, 2013
258	Jacqueline Cavender	Syracuse, New York	Jun 17, 2013
257	Diana Fuentes	Washington, DC	Jun 01, 2013
256	Richard Ozark	Saginaw, Michigan	May 26, 2013
255	William Brammell	Lexington, KY	May 25, 2013
254	Eric Ostertag	Lexington, Kentucky	May 22, 2013
253	william rosenberg	baltimore, maryland	May 18, 2013
252	russell newton	roseville, Minnesota	May 18, 2013
251	Josie Fischer	Spring Hill, Fl	May 18, 2013
250	Denise Houston		May 18, 2013
249	megan guppy	seattle, Washington	May 15, 2013
248	Angie Tidwell	Mcdonough, GA	May 15, 2013
247	Pam Gray	Jacksonville, FL	May 15, 2013
246	Laurie Rotich	Rochester , New York	May 15, 2013
245	Yogi Rao	Cumming, GA	May 15, 2013
244	David Williams	Camarillo, California	May 13, 2013
243	Ariana Branch	Detroit, Michigan	May 13, 2013
242	JIm Stamm	San Jose , Ca.	May 13, 2013
241	JAMES STRIEGEL	Weed, California	May 13, 2013
240	Aracely Coronado	Philadelphia, PA	May 13, 2013
239	joel gilbertson-white	pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	May 12, 2013
238	Lori Faff	Colorado Springs, CO	May 11, 2013
237	Vance Grossie	ca.	May 11, 2013
236	LeeAnn Schappe	Saratoga Springs, New York	May 11, 2013
235	Nick Lose		May 11, 2013
234	David Landskov	Arlington, Massachusetts	May 11, 2013
233	Allan Alsip	Frankfort, KY	May 10, 2013
232	Rosie Smick	Vancouver, Washington	May 10, 2013
231	Michael Guillaum	Tucson, Arizona	May 10, 2013
230	Nalia Nichols		May 10, 2013
229	Ivan Bumgarner	rochester, NY	May 10, 2013
228	Dean Harriman	Atwater, Ohio	May 10, 2013
227	Stephanie Lana Ramapriyan	Malibu, CA	May 10, 2013
226	Marilyn Clute	Bothell, WA	May 10, 2013
225	PHILIP ILCZYSZYN	Arvada, Colorado	May 10, 2013
224	Curtis Cupples	Naples, FL	May 10, 2013
223	Norman Miller	Costa Mesa, CA	May 10, 2013
222	Daniel Bruen	Nyack, New York	May 10, 2013
221	Kathy Harp	Frankfort, KY	May 10, 2013
220	Richard DeCamp	Lexington, Kentucky	May 09, 2013
219	Holly Harris VonLuehrte	Lexington, KY	May 09, 2013
218	Sally O'Boyle	Lexington, KY	May 09, 2013
217	Shauna Hare	Ottumwa, Iowa	May 09, 2013
216	Amber Kidd	Richmond, KY	May 09, 2013
215	Hemp Hurd	Pine Bluff, AR.	May 08, 2013
214	rich givan	lou, ky	May 08, 2013
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