Mitch McConnell - Industrial Hemp's Newest Booster

Mitch McConnell is seeing green. Yep, today the Senate Minority Leader announced his enthusiastic support for Kentucky's legislative effort to add the versatile industrial hemp crop to its farmers' cash and rotation crop options stating:

I am convinced that allowing its production will be a positive development for Kentucky’s farm families and economy.

Having worked on this issue for over a decade, it appears we are nearing the tipping point on efforts to re-legalize hemp farming in the US - the world's largest market for its many products, running the gamut from food to clothing to building materials to car parts, and yet the crop's largest prohibitor.

Here in California, our multiple efforts to pass hemp farming legislation (2006 - 2011) in order to set up a showdown with the feds in court over its irrational hemp policy were stymied by Guv vetoes (Arnold and Brown) based on over-hyped concerns about the federal-state conflict.

McConnell stepping out is earth-shattering, well, at least in these quarters. Look for hemp hearings to finally occur on the hill later this year. Is 2013 industrial hemp's tipping point? I'd put my money on it.