31 August 2012 - The effort to legalize the production of hemp has had a rare moment of progress, as Sen. Rand Paul (with the backing of Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Corner) states that he will revive the dissassembled Kentucky Hemp Commission. Started a decade ago, with the sole purpose of examining the effects of legalizing a hemp industry in the state, the commission never even convened.

"The rest of the world can grow hemp and we're not, so we're losing out on that product", Paul, said. "You know our farmers are one of the greatest parts of our economy. We do things very well in agriculture. If we could legalize hemp I think we would be one of the leaders of the world. I think we have a change of passing it".

The Senator and son of the son of three-time candidate for President of the United States, Ron Paul, is also on the forefront of the effort to assure the federal government legally achknowlege the difference between industrial hemp and the psychoactive marijuana plant, which are currently lumped together as Schedule 1 controlled substances. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Paul and Sen. Ron Wyden, would allow farmers to grow hemp and operate on a state-to-state basis.