To: Rep. Steven Palazzo (MS-4), Sen. Roger Wicker (MS-1), and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS-2)
Legalize Hemp Farming in Mississippi
This petition calls to amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." To define "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. To deem Cannabis sativa L. to meet that concentration limit if a person grows or processes it for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with state law.
Why is this important?
Hemp is an alternative crop that can be farmed with little or no chemicals and is a sustainable natural resource that can replace the harmful processes of deforestation, strip mining, paper pulping and fracking. Its many uses include oil for fuel and plastics, paper, the strongest natural fiber in the world for textiles and building materials, and a nutritious food source. This fast growing crop used to be grown by farmers nationwide, and could resuscitate the depleted earth and the farms of this country.