A victory for hemp

Hemp is a part of our daily lives.

It's woven into our clothing. It's a healthy part of a good breakfast. It's a component of biodegradable plastic. Hemp's even being used to clean up radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in Ukraine.

Hemp's also a critical piece of our economy: thousands of acres of Oregon land were devoted to hemp last year, and hemp farming creates good American jobs across the country.

However, the federal government classifies it as a Schedule I controlled substance, creating an anti-farmer stigma that's preventing job growth and innovation.

This needs to change.

In partnership with Senators from both parties, I reintroduced the Hemp Farming Act to legalize hemp farming and recognize it as an agricultural commodity - not a drug. That common sense change will create red, white and blue jobs and products completely made in America.

And Friday, to cap off Hemp History Week, we announced the Hemp Farming Act will be included in the 2018 Senate Farm Bill!

With this bill, during Hemp History Week, I'm proud to take a step towards ending our legal system's anti-hemp, anti-farmer, and anti-jobs stigma.

Ron