Rand Paul: Congress funding bill rips the rug from under US farmers Rand Paul

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A provision in a government funding bill threatens to shut down the hemp industry.

The bill would make nearly all current hemp products illegal by setting a low THC limit.

Sen. Rand Paul argues the provision was added to a must-pass bill to avoid debate.

The funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in American history was not simply a “yes” or “no” to reopen the government. Tucked away in the bill, on page 163, in Title VII of Division B, was a provision to shut down the hemp industry. It wipes out the regulatory frameworks adopted by several states, takes away consumer choice and destroys the livelihoods of hemp farmers.

This could not come at a worse time for our farmers. Costs have increased while prices for crops have declined. Farm bankruptcies are