AnyRandPaul Jumps on Hemp Bandwagon

The Tribble-Headed One figures better late than never.

From the Herald:

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, is joining a Democratic senator from Oregon in supporting a proposal to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp.

Vote Hemp, a non-profit organization pushing the issue, said Friday that Paul has signed on as a co-sponsor of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's proposed amendment to the omnibus farm bill.

The amendment would exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana, allowing American farmers to grow industrial hemp.

Under the amendment, the cultivation of industrial hemp would be regulated by state permitting programs, like North Dakota's, and would not impact the federal government's long-standing prohibition of marijuana.

Hemp could be Kentucky's and the nation's economic and energy silver bullet. Hemp can replace wood, corn and petroleum in thousands of products from paper to plastic to clothing to food to fuel. In Kentucky, it's a perennial weed that grows wild and needs minimal cultivation. Unlike corn or soybeans, hemp does not need massive pesticides or herbicides to thrive.

A century ago, hemp was Kentucky's number one cash crop and its major economic driver. Legalizing industrial hemp could be the final stake in Big Coal's heart, freeing the Commonwealth from fossil fuel's feudal grip.

UPDATE: Paul endorses RMoney. In other news, it's hot outside in June.