Kentucky agriculture commissioner says he expects state farmers to have hemp crops next year

"Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said Thursday he will send a letter co-signed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul informing the Department of Justice that Kentucky plans to move forward with the regulation and cultivation of hemp," reports Katie Brandenburg of the  Bowling Green Daily News. "He believes farmers in Kentucky will be able to grow hemp by next year. The cultivation cycle of hemp means that might happen by April." (Bloomberg Businesweek graphic)

Comer, like Paul a Republican, said at a meeting of the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission: “We’re serious about it. We’re in a race with many other states now. When we began this race a year ago, we were one of the few participants in the race. Now, at least half the states are trying to do some type of legislation to be in the mix for the industrial hemp industry.” In April, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear allowed a hemp bill to become law without his signature.

"While hemp won’t replace major crops such as tobacco, Comer said he sees it as another tool for farmers, particularly on marginal land in eastern Kentucky," Brandenburg writes. " Hemp also has potential as a source of manufacturing jobs as it is processed, he said." Comer said, “We need to be serious about rural economic development in Kentucky, and I think that processing and manufacturing hemp is a viable option for our rural communities." (Read more)