U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, representing Kentucky, reintroduced the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act last week.
In the United States, hemp is defined as Cannabis sativa L. with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of 0.3 percent or less on a dry weight basis.
Why 0.3%? That's a very good question. This is an arbitrary standard and was never intended to be used as a legal measure of THC concentration in cannabis. It originates from a scientific research paper titled “A Practical and Natural Taxonomy of Cannabis” by Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist, published in 1976, which aimed to distinguish between cannabis and marijuana. It was. So this number was basically created out of thin air.
The 0.3% limit poses many challenges for farmers. Firstly, there is less variety choice, and secondly, it leaves little room for variation in THC levels that vary with weather and environmental conditions. Third, U.S. farmers would be at a disadvantage compared to farmers in other jurisdictions where maximum THC levels are much higher.
There is also much at stake, as plants that exceed the 0.3% threshold, known as “hot” crops, can also expose farmers to legal hot water.
Rand Paul's bill aims to amend the definition of hemp from 0.3 percent THC content to 1 percent. It also provides for testing of hemp-derived products rather than the hemp flower or plant itself. Additionally, to prevent hemp from being confiscated during transit, the bill would require shipments to be accompanied by one of two types of easily accessible documentation:
“For years, I have led the fight in Washington to legalize industrial hemp and restore one of Kentucky's most historically important crops,” said Dr. Paul. . “While we have achieved hard-won victories, there is still work to be done to prevent the federal government from burdening farmers with unnecessary bureaucratic micromanagement. We will help this growing industry reach its full economic potential and bring transparency to government regulation.”
The full text of the Cannabis Economic Mobilization Planning Act can be found here.
This is not the first time senators have tried to pass this bill. That was in 2021, and the document was read twice and referred to the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee without further action.
