McConnell issues Farm Bill ‘guarantee’ that hemp will make final version

Hemp expansion in the next Farm Bill is a “guarantee,” according to the U.S. Senate’s majority leader.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said he’s not sure when Congress will finalize a Farm Bill to get to the president’s desk, but he’s certain hemp will be part of that compromise.

“It will be in there, I guarantee you that,” McConnell told reporters in his home state of Kentucky.

McConnell has championed the idea of removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and clearing the way for nationwide CBD production.

The 2014 Farm Bill, which authorized hemp production under state research programs, expired at the end of September. But many provisions remain in place until Congress passes an updated version.

“I don’t want to overstate this,” McConnell said. “I don’t know whether it’s going to be the next tobacco or not, but I do think (hemp) has a lot of potential.”

– Associated Press