Mitch McConnell Praises Hemp as Promising Alternative to Tobacco While Proposing 18 to 21 Age Limit Increase to Buy

Mitch McConnel, the Senate Majority Leader, made comments before the senate concerning hemp and its potential as a lucrative alternative to tobacco in Kentucky and other states. He made these statements while also proposing that the age for smoking tobacco increase from age 18 t0 21.

He also shared with the Senate his views on Kentucky farmers and their successful efforts to legalize hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill, stating

“Kentucky farmers asked for help to change the outdated federal laws that confused the plant with cannabis and prevented them from exploring the crop. Now we’re seeing the future take shape right before our eyes. Farmers in 99 of 120 counties [in Kentucky] are growing hemp. Processors are reporting more than $50 million in gross sales. And this is just one of the new crops our farmers are using to chart new directions and connect Kentucky’s past with its future.”