Mitch McConnell, agriculture secretary visit Louisville to promote hemp production

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Washington lawmakers want to jump-start hemp growth in Kentucky.

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and Agriculture Secretary "Sonny" Perdue made the trip to Louisville Tuesday to hear about the obstacles the crop still faces since it was legalized in 2014.

"What I heard was a lot of opportunity, but also a lot of challenges needing a federal framework to help guide the progress of this product," Perdue said.

They heard from hemp farmers and producers at the largest hemp producer in the state, Commonwealth Extracts.

Hemp and CBD products on display at McConnell news conference

The co-founder, Chief Operations Officer John Taylor, says he became a believer after hemp and CBD got rid of his seizures.

He says business is booming, but producers are running into problems.

"What I need is just some clarity when it comes to interstate transportation of some of the raw materials that we make, and we need a testing standard nationwide for different states to follow by," he said.

The goal is to improve the hemp industry in Kentucky and across the country.