Bills
| 3.23.22

Should the Federal Government Make It Legal to Grow Hemp for Industrial Purposes? (S. 134)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is S. 134?

(Updated March 15, 2018)

This bill would exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act -- thus allowing industrial hemp to be grown without violating federal law.


Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, which means that as far as the federal government is concerned it has no medical use and is likely to be abused. There is currently no exclusion for industrial hemp that isn’t used as a recreational drug.


Industrial hemp would be defined as any part of the cannabis sativa plant with a delta-9 THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. As long as the industrial hemp meets that standard and is in compliance with state laws it would be permitted.

Argument in favor

Industrial hemp has numerous uses - such as clothing, paper, textiles, plastics, and biofuel - and allowing its production would boost the agriculture industry. And no, you can’t get high off of it.

Argument opposed

This would make it more difficult for law enforcement to detect and prosecute marijuana crimes, as the plants look the same even if they have different THC content.

Impact

Businesses and consumers that would use hemp-based products, farmers and their employees that would grow industrial hemp, the Attorney General.

Cost of S. 134

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Despite bipartisan support, a version of this bill that was introduced in 2013 failed to progress out of the Senate Judiciary committee before the conclusion of the 113th Congress.

Sponsoring Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) had this to say about the federal government’s policy on industrial hemp:

“The U.S. ban on hemp farming is an outrageous restriction on free enterprise and does nothing but hurt economic growth and job creation.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) emphasized that “allowing farmers throughout our nation to cultivate industrial hemp and benefit from its many uses will boost our economy and bring much-needed jobs to the agriculture industry.


Of Note: While there are 22 states that have enacted laws supporting industrial hemp, the federal government does not allow its production outside of academic and government research, which prevents it from being more widely grown by farmers.

The federal government hasn’t always been down on hemp -- during World War II the Department of Agriculture produced a film called Hemp for Victory which encouraged farmers to grow as much hemp as possible because other industrial fibers were less widely available.

Hemp is one of the most versatile crops on the planet, as the plant can be used to produce the following things:

  • Food - hemp seeds are very high in protein.

  • Building materials like fiberboard, hempcrete, and insulation.

  • Biodegradable plastics.

  • Paper and rope.

  • Biofuel in diesel engines.

  • Water or soil purification and weed control.

Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user twiceplx)