Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear doesn't know if he will allow hemp legislation to become law. In a last-minute deal, House and Senate leaders agreed Tuesday night on a compromise bill to license farmers to grow hemp. Licensing would be done by the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission, which is under the control of the state agriculture department. Beshear told WKU Public Radio he can't say yet if he will veto the legislation or sign it into law.
"It was like 11:45 last night and we didn't have a copy of it, so I haven't really seen it yet," explained Beshear. "We're going to take a good objective look at it. I'll talk with state police and see it this bill strike a better balance."
Law enforcement has been against legalizing industrial hemp because the crop closely resembles marijuana. Police fear it could hamper eradication efforts.
