TEXAS PONDERS HEMP- Members of the Texas House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock are exploring the possibility of creating a “hemp” industry in Texas. Hemp is very similar in appearance to marijuana but it contains lower levels of the psychoactive chemical THC. And for years, Hemp by-products have been used to make cosmetics, natural supplements, and even a natural alternative to plastic. Jonathan Miller is the general counsel for the United States Hemp Roundtable group. He shared more details about the Hemp industry to Texas Public Media.
“It’s become almost a billion-dollar industry in the United States, unfortunately though, all of that hemp was being imported.”
But federal legislation known as the Hemp Farming Act by U.S. Senator, and GOP Senate Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell would change that and allow U.S. farmers to grow hemp as an agricultural product.
“Take a look at that bill, see how it defines hemp. It defines it in a way that makes sure that all popular hemp products can be sold as opposed to making this a federally regulated drug. What this bill does is it puts the power into the state”
Both Republican and Democratic Parties in Texas are in support of legally growing hemp for agricultural purposes.
