A group of Kentucky officials have sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency asking for clarity on a state law that would permit the cultivation of industrial hemp.
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer drafted the letter. It was co-signed by Sen. Rand Paul, along with Congressmen Thomas Massie and John Yarmuth.
Comer says in order for hemp production to move forward, the industry still needs an assurance from the federal government that the crop is legal.
“For the sake of the processors who are wanting to move into the state and make an investment, and for the sake of the farmers who are gonna be growing it, that we have certainty and assurances from the federal government that they’re not gonna get anybody in trouble, ” says Comer.
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway issued an opinion on the matter in September, saying that under the federal Controlled Substances Act, hemp can't be used as a drug.
A spokesman for the DEA said they have not officially received the letter and declined to provide comment.
