Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he will not support speedy passage of a deal to reopen the government because of a provision that would make some THC products illegal.
Though Congress appears to have a deal to end the government shutdown, a vote on that agreement is being held up by an unexpected issue: hemp.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is objecting to speedy consideration of the bill that would end the longest shutdown in U.S. history over a hemp provision tucked into funding for the Agriculture Department, three people familiar with conversations but not authorized to discuss them publicly told NBC News.
The provision would close the so-called hemp loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill that has allowed unregulated THC products to be sold around the country, irrespective of state cannabis laws. Paul has long pushed to keep the loophole and told GOP leadership and hemp industry insiders that he wouldn’t give his consent to speed up passage of the government funding legislation unless the loophole is preserved, according to two of those people.
A spokesperson for Paul, who has voted against federal funding bills for a majority of his 15-year career in the Senate, told NBC News: “Dr. Rand Paul affirms his commitment to reopening the government without delay. However, he objects to the inclusion of provisions in the government-funding package that unfairly target Kentucky’s hemp industry—language that is unrelated to the budget and the government-reopening goal.”
“Dr. Paul will work to ensure that the final bill excludes this unrelated language to defend the livelihoods of Kentucky farmers, hemp processors, and manufacturing jobs,” the spokesperson continued.
Paul’s opposition to the hemp provision is not enough to prevent Congress from passing legislation to reopen the government. But he can slow it down for several days, forcing the Senate to run through procedural hurdles before approving the bill.
Read the full article at NBC News.
