Because of the Epstein recordsdata, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie is having a political second that in the long run could possibly be a boon for hemp-derived THC.
The Kentucky reasonable Republican and hemp supporter was one in every of two GOP Home lawmakers to vote towards the invoice that ended the federal government shutdown whereas additionally imposing federal hemp THC prohibition.
And because the central determine within the profitable effort compelling President Donald Trump to launch paperwork pertaining to deceased intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, Massie’s political inventory is rising excessive.
The issues are unrelated. However Massie’s victory means he has political capital to burn on pet points.
And one in every of them is saving hemp-derived THC.
Epstein recordsdata victory ‘raises profile’ of hemp THC supporter
“I believe this undoubtedly raises Massie’s profile,” mentioned Jonathan Miller, common counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a key Washington foyer.
Nevertheless, Miller added, Massie remains to be a backbencher – if a vocal one.
A longtime supporter of the $28.3 billion hemp business, Massie was dead-set towards the redefinition of hemp that closes the loophole within the 2018 Farm Invoice tucked into the spending invoice Trump signed into legislation final week
“I detest the techniques which can be getting used to attempt to get this ban enacted into legislation,” Massie instructed reporters.
Massie and Florida U.S. Rep. Greg Steube had been the one Republicans to vote towards the spending invoice.
From there, Massie turned his consideration to federal data associated to Epstein, the infamous intercourse trafficker who died in federal jail in 2019 – and who knew Trump socially.
As Politico noticed, Massie led the trouble to persuade different Home Republicans to defy the president and vote to launch the recordsdata, through which the president is talked about to some extent.
Trump has denied all wrongdoing.
Massie withstood vicious private assaults from the president and a Trump political operative organizing a main problem to unseat the seven-term lawmaker.
Based on Politico, Massie has extra marketing campaign contributors than ever, with greater than $2 million in money readily available for his reelection bid.
Senate supporter of recordsdata launch additionally helps hemp THC regulation
Nevertheless, the important thing lawmaker hemp pursuits are concentrating on of their lobbying blitz within the quick time period is Virginia Republican U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, Miller mentioned.
Griffith chairs a key subcommittee on the Home Vitality and Commerce Committee, the place any hemp-related laws is prone to start.
He’s additionally authored previous payments supporting CBD and hemp.
In an attention-grabbing coincidence, one in every of hemp THC’s prime supporters within the Senate is main an effort in that chamber to launch the recordsdata.
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Massie is working with Oregon Democrat Sen. Jeff Merkley, writer of a Senate invoice that will make the recordsdata public, to place the matter to a vote, Politico reported.
Merkley is one in every of eight Senate Democrats to name for regulating hemp-derived THC merchandise. He additionally voted towards the spending bundle that ended the shutdown.
