Celebrating its seventh year, Hemp History Week looks to raise awareness of the hemp industry, highlighting the many products that can be made with hemp.
As a hemp based business, Medical Marijuana, Inc. is pleased to see this grassroots movement to raise awareness for the personal and social benefits of hemp grow in popularity year after year. The 7th year of the event, Hemp History Week took place from June 6-12 this year.
Last year’s Hemp History Week saw more than 1600 events held throughout all 50 states, and event organizers expected an increase in participation at an expanded list of events this year.
The Hemp Industries Association is a sponsor of Hemp History Week and helped organize and promote hemp businesses and organizations participating around the country. Events focused on the health benefits, economic opportunities, technical innovation, and sustainability advantages of hemp. This year’s events included hemp farmers markets in Kentucky and Hawaii, a hemp-food tasting in Ohio, and various other educational events across the country.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a voice vote resolution to officially recognize Hemp History Week, adding to the new sense of acceptance that surrounds hemp farming here in America. The resolution was introduced by Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul from Kentucky.
“My vision for the farmers and manufacturers of Kentucky is to see us start growing hemp, creating jobs and leading the nation in this industry again,” Sen. Paul said. “Allowing farmers throughout our nation to cultivate industrial hemp and benefit from its many uses will boost our economy and bring much-needed jobs to the agriculture industry.”
The U.S. is the largest consumer of hemp in the world, but current federal regulations make it illegal to cultivate outside of a handful of state pilot programs. This forces American businesses to import $76 million in hemp yearly to be made into food, clothing, dietary supplements, construction materials, and bath and body products.
The four senators also teamed up to introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which would remove hemp from the government’s Schedule I list. The legislation faces opposition in Congress and still has not been passed.
“Another year has gone by and industrial hemp somehow remains on the controlled substances list,” Wyden said. “There’s no need to punish American farmers and entrepreneurs who stand to create good-paying jobs and countless products from this crop with seemingly endless uses. My bipartisan colleagues and I are working to lift this senseless ban during Hemp History Week and every week of the year.”
Medical Marijuana, Inc. applauds these four Senators for their tireless efforts to revitalize the hemp industry in this country. As a company we recognize the advantages a sustainable hemp industry would bring to our country.
To learn more about the differences between hemp and marijuana, visit the Medical Marijuana, Inc. education page.
