SUPPORT HEMP RESEARCH

The legislature shouldn't let another session go by without approving a
bill to allow industrial hemp research at Kentucky universities.

The plant, while similar to marijuana, lacks a potent amount of the
ingredient that packs a psychoactive punch, yet it remains illegal.

House Bill 100 won't alter that status, but it would provide opportunities
for researchers to make a factual assessment of the crop, which at one time
was grown throughout Kentucky. Objective studies of its uses and
marketability might be the only way to chase away the cloud over hemp.

The state shouldn't ignore the practical and potential applications of the
plant any longer.

It's already been put to use in textiles, paper, food, cosmetics and
construction materials. A number of states and countries are already
producing hemp or conducting research. Kentucky should jump in. A 17-member
commission, including law enforcement officials, would monitor the research
projects and evaluate whether hemp could be a viable crop again.