Print |
E-mail to a friend
BUSINESS
Commissioner: State police against hemp
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer said his agency opposes proposals to grow industrial hemp in Kentucky even though he sees the benefits for the agriculture industry.
Brewer said after a meeting of the newly restarted Kentucky Hemp Commission that state police are concerned the agricultural pluses will be offset by law enforcement minuses such as distinguishing between hemp and its cousin, marijuana.
The commission, led by Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, held its second meeting since it came out of a decade-long dormancy. Comer is aggressively pursuing state legislation that would allow hemp, which is illegal to grow in the United States, to be grown in Kentucky with federal approval.
The commission was created in 2001 to oversee industrial hemp research in Kentucky and make recommendations to the governor. Last month, Comer convened the 18-member panel for the first time in a decade.
