Hopeful Hempsters (hoping to bring hemp back to the mainstream) 

House Bill 1866, The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, would exclude low potency varieties of marijuana from federal prohibition. If approved, this measure will grant state legislatures the authority to license and regulate the commercial production of hemp as an industrial and agricultural commodity.

Since 1999 numerous states — including North Dakota, Montana, and Vermont — have enacted state regulations to allow for the cultivation of hemp under state law. However, none of these laws can be implemented without federal approval. Passage of HR 1866 would remove existing federal barriers and allow states that wish to regulate commercial hemp production the authority to do so.

The legislation, which has been introduced twice in past years, would allow American farmers to once again grow hemp to the extent allowed under state laws, repealing a provision in federal law that makes the U.S. the only industrialized nation where farmers are prohibited from competing in the booming industrial hemp market. The legislation is identical to HR 1009 introduced in the 110th Congress.