FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Industrial hemp will make a comeback in Kentucky, says Ky. Agriculture Commissioner James Comer.
Comer says if Congress finishes work on a farm bill including hemp, the state Agriculture Department will issue licenses to farmers wanting to grow the crop that once thrived in the Bluegrass state.
Comer says the number of licenses has yet to be determined but the crop will likely be small this year.
The federal government banned hemp several decades ago when it classified the crop as a controlled substance related to marijuana. Hemp contains a very small amount of the psychoactive compound that provides marijuana users a high.
A federal farm bill agreement reached this week allows for pilot growing programs.
Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill in 2013 to allow the reintroduction of industrial hemp if the federal government lifted its ban.
