Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Matt Funiciello, Green candidate for Congress in NY-21, today stated his support for legalizing industrial hemp production.
Funiciello said that industrial hemp had the potential to be a multi-billion dollar market for small farmers, can be used in 25,000 products, and is environmentally friendly. Mentioning the boon that legalized marijuana production has been to the state economies where it has been legalized, Funiciello said it was time to move beyond the timid steps towards cultivation in the 2014 Farm Bill and fully legalize industrial hemp. Funiciello said he supported Rep. Thomas Massie's "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015" (H.R. 525) that would remove hemp's classification as a controlled substance and clear the way for normalized production of the plant across the United States.
"Hemp is a potentially multi-billion dollar industry in the United States; in fact a 2015 Congressional report said that even with restrictions on domestic cultivation hemp was a $500 million industry. Since the 2014 Farm Bill allowed limited growing for research purposes nearly 30 states have passed laws regarding hemp: 20 for research and 16 for commercial purposes. Like marijuana — which comes from the same plant — hemp is a boon for small farmers and has a positive effect on the environment, especially since it can be a natural substitute for many commercial products. The same Congressional report said that it can be used in nearly 25,000 products: we are we waiting on hemp? Hemp has a long history in the United States: cultivated by George Washington, it helped us win World War II with hemp fibers being used in all aspects of the war effort.
I support Rep. Massie's bill (H.R. 525) that would remove Industrial Hemp from being classified as a controlled substance as a good first step, and I note that my opponent, Elise Stefanik, is not a co-sponsor of the bill. I do think the time has come on a national level to recognize that legalizing hemp and marijuana would benefit small farmers and our often-struggling and ignored rural economies. We need a Green New Deal that rebuilds our rural and agricultural base, and that would encourage and help small farmers to grow environmentally-friendly products in a sustainable manner: hemp should be at the forefront of that program. Right now hemp is in a legal limbo: still a controlled substance but allowed to be grown for research purposes. Let's eliminate that ambiguity, and help rebuild the infrastructure needed to make hemp a thriving, multi-billion dollar industry that could help working small farmers in the United States," concluded Funiciello.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Funiciello Calls For Legalization Of Industrial Hemp Production
Author: Brian Dwyer
Contact: yournews@twcnews.com
Photo Credit: JD Farms
Website: The Warner Cable News
Funiciello said that industrial hemp had the potential to be a multi-billion dollar market for small farmers, can be used in 25,000 products, and is environmentally friendly. Mentioning the boon that legalized marijuana production has been to the state economies where it has been legalized, Funiciello said it was time to move beyond the timid steps towards cultivation in the 2014 Farm Bill and fully legalize industrial hemp. Funiciello said he supported Rep. Thomas Massie's "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015" (H.R. 525) that would remove hemp's classification as a controlled substance and clear the way for normalized production of the plant across the United States.
"Hemp is a potentially multi-billion dollar industry in the United States; in fact a 2015 Congressional report said that even with restrictions on domestic cultivation hemp was a $500 million industry. Since the 2014 Farm Bill allowed limited growing for research purposes nearly 30 states have passed laws regarding hemp: 20 for research and 16 for commercial purposes. Like marijuana — which comes from the same plant — hemp is a boon for small farmers and has a positive effect on the environment, especially since it can be a natural substitute for many commercial products. The same Congressional report said that it can be used in nearly 25,000 products: we are we waiting on hemp? Hemp has a long history in the United States: cultivated by George Washington, it helped us win World War II with hemp fibers being used in all aspects of the war effort.
I support Rep. Massie's bill (H.R. 525) that would remove Industrial Hemp from being classified as a controlled substance as a good first step, and I note that my opponent, Elise Stefanik, is not a co-sponsor of the bill. I do think the time has come on a national level to recognize that legalizing hemp and marijuana would benefit small farmers and our often-struggling and ignored rural economies. We need a Green New Deal that rebuilds our rural and agricultural base, and that would encourage and help small farmers to grow environmentally-friendly products in a sustainable manner: hemp should be at the forefront of that program. Right now hemp is in a legal limbo: still a controlled substance but allowed to be grown for research purposes. Let's eliminate that ambiguity, and help rebuild the infrastructure needed to make hemp a thriving, multi-billion dollar industry that could help working small farmers in the United States," concluded Funiciello.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Funiciello Calls For Legalization Of Industrial Hemp Production
Author: Brian Dwyer
Contact: yournews@twcnews.com
Photo Credit: JD Farms
Website: The Warner Cable News
