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The states of North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
Montana, West Virginia, Vermont and Oregon already have legalized
the cultivation of industrial hemp, recognizing that these crops
can be used to produce fibers that are useful in the making of rope
and other products.

At a time when Wisconsin farm families are constantly looking
for new sources of revenue, this is a good one. And it has a
history in the state; until 1957, notes Bill Tracy, who chairs the
Agronomy Department at the University of Wisconsin, industrial hemp
was a significant crop for Wisconsin farmers.

With that combination of current need and relatively recent
history in mind, legislators should not hesitate to back a bill,
introduced by state Rep. Louis Molepske Jr., D-Stevens Point, which
would address the state prohibition on the production of hemp.

The controversy regarding this bill, to the extent that there is
any, will have to do with the fact that hemp is cultivated from the
same plant that is used to grow marijuana.

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Molepske’s bill would require the state Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to permit farmers to
grow and process the Cannabis sativa plant, so long as it contains
only a minimal amount of the active ingredient in marijuana. In
other words: He is not proposing to make Wisconsin the nation’s
prime pot producer.

Under the Stevens Point Democrat’s proposal, farmers would be
required to provide a legal description of the land where the hemp
would be grown or processed and to report all sales. There would,
as well, be restrictions on access to permits for those convicted
of drug crimes.

This is sound legislation.

Of course, Molepske’s bill is really only a step in the process
of lifting the ban on hemp production. The federal Drug Enforcement
Agency still restricts production. But, noting recent legislation
introduced by Congressman Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Barney Frank,
D-Mass., which would ease federal restrictions, Molepske correctly
suggests that Wisconsin should be prepared to capitalize on any
change in federal regulations.

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“}]] At a time when Wisconsin farm families are constantly looking for new sources of revenue, hemp would be a good one.  Read More  

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