Representative Jared Polis wants government clarification on industrial hemp

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder held the third annual hemp symposium on Wednesday in Loveland. More than 150 hemp industry professionals attended. The symposium included several workshops sessions on industrial hemp and different government entities as well as funding for hemp research.

Polis also announced that he, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; and 14 other members of Congress have drafted a letter to government entities asking that they clarify rules around industrial hemp.

The letter is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration to clear up issues within the Statement of Principles as many of the current provisions conflict with federal law.

A press release from Polis also states, “Currently, federal law prohibits American farmers from growing industrial hemp for commercial profit, but retail sales of products made with hemp are legal, and make up a $570 million industry annually.”