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Missouri House passes industrial hemp bill, but chances in Senate thin

For the third year in a row, the Missouri House passed a bill that would legalize the growing and production of hemp for purposes like soap and rope. But its fate is likely to be the same as before: A slow death in the Senate due to the short time left in the 2017 session and the bill’s low priority for Republicans running the chamber.

The Missouri Farm Bureau also strongly opposes House Bill 170, and sent individual letters to every member of the House before Monday night’s 126-26 vote.

An excerpt from the letter says the measure does not comply with the 2014 federal farm bill:“The Agriculture Act of 2014 allows for the production of industrial hemp, but only by state departments of agriculture, those licensed by state departments of agriculture to conductresearchunder an agriculture pilot program, and institutions of higher education. We do not believe the Act permits unrestricted production of industrial hemp by any individual licensed by a state department of agriculture.”

 

But GOP bill sponsor Rep. Paul Curtman of Pacific said his bill meets the requirement of being classified as a pilot program.

 

“The memo that they put out was written by a bunch of bitter bureaucrats at the federal level who are upset that the U.S. Congress, in a stroke of constitutional righteousness, took something and turned it all the way back over to the states for the states to promulgate their own rules,” he said.

Industrial hemp production is legal in 31states, including Illinois.

The few House members argued that legalizing hemp would complicate drug enforcement efforts. Hemp is the same species of plant as marijuana, but lacks the psychoactive compounds. However, it can be used to make cannabis oil, which is legal in Missouri to treat certain epileptic conditions.

“The hemp is still the cannabis plant, and there’s THC in every part of the cannabis plant,” said Rep.TilaHubrecht, R-Dexter. “Even small amounts can cause intoxication.”

She also claimed hemp fields can be used to hide illegal marijuana production, which fellow Republican Jay Barnes of Jefferson City balked at.

“Only an absolute idiot would go get a license to grow this, and then risk all of their capital and their freedom to do something, knowing they’re going to be monitored the whole time,” he said.

But hemp’s close relation to marijuana remains an obstacle in the Senate, according to Republican RobSchaafof St. Joseph who is sponsoring one of two hemp-legalization bills.

“When there are senators who believe that anything that has to do with a marijuana plant is bad, and they’re reticent to change their views, they’re not going to give in,” he said. “I wish that they would, but I don’t see it happening.”

Republican Sen. BrianMunzlingerof Williamstown sponsored the other Senate hemp bill, which has received a public hearing, thanks mostly to his also chairing that chamber’s agriculture committee. But he admits that its chances for passage are slim.

“It looks like everything is taking a long time on the Senate floor, and I don’t know if it’s a real priority of leadership to get it through.” Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2020 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit .

Marshall Griffin is the Statehouse reporter for St. Louis Public Radio.
Marshall Griffin
St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.
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