The Kentucky Agriculture Department is taking three federal agencies to court. Commissioner James Comer filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Louisville Wednesday seeking the release of 250 pounds of hemp seeds.
Defendants in the suit include the U.S. Justice Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The seeds have been held up in Louisville for more than a week. The DEA claims the state needs a special permit, which might months to receive. Agriculture experts say the seeds need to be in the ground by June 1 for a normal growing season.
"Commissioner Comer is tired of playing around with this, and we've expended a great deal of time and energy on these projects and we're going to move forward with them," says Comer's Chief of Staff Holly VonLuerhte.
VonLuerht says a permit is unnecessary. She points to the federal farm bill, which allows Kentucky to plant the seeds for research.
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to force Customs officials to release the Italian hemp seeds for planting in Kentucky this spring.
