"It is indefensible that the United States government prevents American farmers from growing this crop. The prohibition subsidizes farmers in countries from Canada to Romania by eliminating American competition and encourages jobs in industries such as food, auto parts and clothing that utilize industrial hemp to be located overseas instead of in the United States. By passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, the House of Representatives can help American farmers and reduce the trade deficit -- all without spending a single taxpayer dollar."

- Dr. Ron Paul, US Congressman

Ron Paul reintroduced a bill to Congress to "amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes." This bill is known as H.R. 1866, and commonly as The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009. This bill follows on the heels of two previous bills, H.R. 1009, which was stalled in committee until it expired, and H.R. 3037, which was an attempt to allow states authority over regulation of Industrial Hemp.

While the collective nation is looking for more environmentally friendly and geo-local production, farmers in the United States are still prohibited from growing Industrial Hemp as an agricultural commodity.  Manufacturers of hemp products such as rope, clothing, building materials, and food oils, must buy their raw hemp material from overseas distributors.  The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, known as H.R. 1866, is a Bill introduced to Congress that would remove industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana and facilitating a release from Federal Regulation that would allow domestic farmers to produce hemp and sell it to domestic manufacturers who are already using it.

Read H.R. 1866 for Yourself (pdf)
Track the Status of H.R. 1866 (govtrack.us)