Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will introduce a bill [senate.gov] to legalize the production of hemp [thehill.com] by removing it from the list of controlled substances. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 would remove the need for a federal permit to grow hemp. Since 2014, the federal farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014 [wikipedia.org]) has allowed state agricultural departments to designate hemp projects for research purposes, with 34 states subsequently authorizing research and production occurring in 19:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced a new bill on Monday that would legalize hemp as an agricultural product.
The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 would legalize hemp, removing it from the federal list of controlled substances and allowing it to be sold as an agricultural commodity, according to WKYT [wkyt.com].
"Hemp has played a foundational role in Kentucky's agriculture heritage, and I believe that it can be an important part of our future," McConnell said in a statement.
See also: McConnell looks to complete hemp's comeback as crop [ap.org]
Hemp gains powerful ally to free it from marijuana ties [ap.org]