Rand Paul Slams Congress Over Hemp Ban | “You’re Killing Jobs and Crushing Farmers!” | APT - video Dailymotion

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Senator Rand Paul has sharply criticized Congress over a new hemp provision included in the federal appropriations package, warning that it will wipe out nearly 100% of legal hemp products overnight. The Kentucky senator said the move would kill jobs, crush farmers, and override 23 state laws that already regulate hemp responsibly.  Paul emphasized that hemp has been a lifeline for American farmers, especially as fertilizer, fuel, and equipment costs have skyrocketed while crop prices have fallen. Instead of cracking down on bad actors and synthetic cannabinoids, he argued, Congress chose “prohibition” — a move he says will devastate rural communities and small businesses.  “Kentucky jobs are not collateral. Our farmers are not bargaining chips,” Paul declared, vowing to continue fighting for the hemp industry and the livelihoods it supports. His comments have sparked renewed debate in Washington about agricultural freedom, state sovereignty, and the future of hemp regulation in America.

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00:00Instead of a clean CR, this bill contains language that has been airdropped in that

00:06will destroy hemp farming in Kentucky and across the United States.

00:11Tucked away on page 163, Title VII, Division B of this spending package is a provision

00:19that will shut down the hemp industry across the United States.

00:23My amendment would strip the provision designed to regulate the hemp industry to death.

00:27The bill as it now stands overrides the regulatory frameworks of several states, cancels the

00:35collective decisions of hemp consumers, and destroys the livelihoods of hemp farmers.

00:41And it couldn't come at a worse time for America's farmers.

00:45Times are tough for our farmers.

00:47Farmers' costs have increased as the price of fertilizer and machinery have jumped, while

00:52prices for their crops like soybean, corn, and wheat have declined.

00:57For many farmers, hemp has proved to be a lifeline, a new cash crop.

01:02Farmers turn to growing hemp to mitigate the losses they've endured during this season

01:07of hardship.

01:08But that lifeline may soon be extinguished by this very legislation.

01:14The effective hemp ban included in this spending package is a result, we are told, of bad actors

01:20skirting the legal limits by overly enhancing the concentration of THC in their products.

01:25The hemp industry, myself and others, have come together, and we have been willing to negotiate

01:32to get rid of the bad actors.

01:34And yet, instead, we are met with legislation that would be prohibition.

01:42Members of the industry, myself and others who are advocates of this, have been willing

01:46to get rid of synthetic cannabinoids.

01:48We have been willing to compromise at every turn, but we are met with the numbers in this

01:52bill which will eradicate the hemp industry.

01:56For the last several weeks, we have offered proposals, with the goal of creating an environment

02:00in which the hemp industry could thrive and sell products.

02:04And we have been met with those who want to prohibit the industry from continuing.

02:10This bill's per-serving THC content limit would make illegal any hemp product that contains

02:17more than 0.4 milligrams.

02:20That would be nearly 100 percent of the existing market.

02:24The numbers put forward in this bill will eliminate 100 percent of the hemp products in

02:30our country.

02:32That amounts to an effective ban because the limit is so low that the products intended to

02:36manage pain or anxiety will lose their effect.

02:40The states have done what they're supposed to.

02:42The states have instituted laws.

02:45Twenty-three states have instituted laws on hemp.

02:48None of them have limits anywhere close to what is being proposed in this bill.

02:54So what will happen is most of the things that your states have regulated, are regulating,

02:59and have made legal will be made illegal by this bill.

03:04This bill will effectively preempt and nullify all state laws concerning hemp.

03:11Currently Maine limits THC to 3 milligrams per serving.

03:14That will be overruled.

03:16My home state limits THC to 5 milligrams in beverages.

03:19That will be overruled.

03:21Minnesota, Utah, Louisiana also have 5 milligrams per serving.

03:25Alabama and Georgia have 10 milligrams.

03:28The bill before us nullifies all these state laws and makes the hemp industry kaput.

03:37The language in this bill will outlaw all current hemp plants and seeds.

03:41It changes the definition of what a hemp plant is.

03:45It makes it so low that there may not even be an existing plant that can meet the parameters.

03:51That every plant in the country will have to be destroyed.

03:55Every hemp seed in the country will have to be destroyed.

03:58This is the most thoughtless, ignorant proposal to an industry that I've seen in a long, long

04:06time.

04:09The states have made progress, and more progress was coming.

04:12Most states have age limits.

04:15To add insult to injury, we are given this legislation and appropriation bills.

04:21We have senate rules against this.

04:24So I would recommend that we vote for this amendment.

04:29And my amendment would strip out the language.

04:31And I would like to transfer the remainder of my time to Senator Merkling.

Rand Paul Slams Congress Over Hemp Ban | “You’re Killing Jobs and Crushing Farmers!” | APT

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