BOARD STUDYING VIABILITY OF HEMP AS CROP

State, Federal Laws Are Top Hindrances

FRANKFORT - Another state-sponsored effort to look at industrial hemp as a
cash crop has kicked off, but any chance of growing the plant in Kentucky
is still a ways off.

The Industrial Hemp Commission, a 17-member board created by the General
Assembly earlier this year, met for the first time Monday.

The group - made up of members of the pro-hemp community, law enforcement,
the legislature and state Department of Agriculture - is charged with
identifying whether hemp can successfully be grown and sold in Kentucky.

If hemp is ever to have a place in Kentucky's economy, the commission first
needs to figure out who would buy it, members said Monday.

"It would be difficult for us to go ask somebody to grow something and not
have a market," said panel Chairman Mark Farrow, from the state Department
of Agriculture.

Capt. John Liles, representing the Kentucky State Police on the commission,
said Monday he's in favor of studying hemp, but there are still several
issues of concern. Chief among those is the ensuring the level of
tetrahydocannabinol - THC - in hemp grown is below 1 percent.

THC is a chemical found in both hemp and marijuana. Higher levels in
marijuana are what give the plant its narcotic effect.

The legislation that set up the study also authorized the growing of
industrial hemp at state universities that applied to participate in the
research.

But so far, the University of Kentucky is the only state school to apply
for the program, and UK still needs to obtain a state license to grow
industrial hemp.

However, Kentucky - which makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana -
does not yet have a licensing process for industrial hemp.

And even when it does, UK will have to obtain a license from the Drug
Enforcement Administration, which does not have to approve the research.
The federal government also makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana.

The commission so far has no money to support its study. Members discussed
Monday the possibility of soliciting funds from public and private groups
and individuals.

Several members said the schools that participate shouldn't have to bear
the financial burden themselves.

Despite the obstacles, pro-hemp activists said they are more encouraged by
the commission than by earlier attempts to study industrial hemp.

"I think it's going to go a long way because now we have the wishes of the
legislature," said Lexington-based hemp activist Andy Graves, president of
the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative.

A similar board set up by then-Gov. Brereton Jones in 1994 met twice before
issuing a report that dismissed hemp's viability as a cash crop.

Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer who has used a pro-hemp platform in
several unsuccessful campaigns for public office, including governor, said
he has high hopes for the new commission but doubted the federal government
would cooperate.

"I think the DEA is going to thwart this effort at every turn," he said.

The federal government has approved only one state, Hawaii, to grow hemp on
a research basis.