“This, to me, is a farming issue,” says Sen. Frank Niceley, who introduced Tennessee’s hemp bill last year, adding that even he was surprised it passed on the first try. “Since the Republicans have taken over down there (at the state capitol), we pass bills that give freedoms back to people. I saw Kentucky trying to legalize hemp and realized that we can grow anything they can grow, and if this industry is going to come about there might be a need for more hemp than one state can provide, so I dropped the bill.”
Rep. Jeremy Faison, who sponsored a similar bill in the House, admits he was pretty ignorant about the nuances of cannabis until a friend called him a few years back and started talking up hemp, but now he sees he sees the potential, and others with traditionally conservative values are also coming around, he says.
“I think there’s a clear distinction between both forms of the cannabis plant (marijuana and hemp), but both forms have massive benefits to our lives and the environment we live in,” he says. “In my opinion the cannabis plant is just about the most beneficial plant God gave us. I want to continue Tennessee opening up its views to the cannabis plant, be it medical marijuana or industrial hemp.”
Album: The Rise of Industrial Hemp in Tennessee
Categories: Journalism
Tags: #farming #industrial hemp #marijuana #tennessee