Polis in bipartisan effort to remove federal hemp ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan group of more than 40 representatives, including U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., have introduced a bill to eliminate the federal ban on hemp production.

Polis co-sponsored the Industrial Hemp Farming Act this week. Hemp is used in textiles, biofuel, paper and other products. Growing hemp became legal along with the retail sale and possession of small amounts of marijuana after Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 in November 2012.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act would remove industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and require the federal government to defer to state laws…