Although hemp was grown in the United States for many years before it became illegal, there have been more and more studies on why it should be. Many farmers would grow, or be asked to grow hemp because it was used to make things like books, clothes, cars, and much more. Then, people started taking advantage of the fact that hemp was so common and very similar to cannabis, that they would start to grow small patches of cannabis in their large fields of hemp. Cannabis is a drug that distorts your vision, mind, and even your body. This was such a big problem because people would be using the drug without any known trail of them having it in their possession.
Another reason for hemp becoming illegal was the effect media had on our society. There were many movies with the association of marijuana causing domestic violence. These were movies such as "Reefer Madness" and "Marijuana: Assassin of Youth”. These films showed that marijuana had the side effects of people going crazy and causing sudden acts of violence and killing. This also goes along with the fact that marijuana hazes your state of mind just like any other dangerous drug. Therefore, hemp production had another reason to be fought against.
The last point I would like to make about Cannabis is that it can be just as harmful as drinking and driving. Many people that have used marijuana or products of marijuana have shared a feeling of not being able to control their bodies or minds as they would if they were sober. This causes controversy over the fact that hemp could be just as dangerous as getting behind the wheel drunk because you are not fully aware of what you are doing at the time. The forces in Kentucky are cracking down on people who grow, sell, or possess marijuana because it is a drug just like any other dangerous narcotic that gives you a "high" and takes your mind to a different state. These are just a few reasons as to why production of hemp is illegal in states such as Kentucky.Even though some states have legalized the production of hemp and cannabis, Kentucky is sticking to its guns of not wanting people to make bad decisions and having the chance of hurting themselves or others. There has however been talk of Kentucky possibly legalizing hemp and cannabis for plant research and medicinal reasons. I however believe that the Kentucky State Government will make the right choice in whatever they choose to do, for the well-being of its citizens. These are all tough decisions to make and will be taken into careful consideration on whether what is right or not. The states will figure out what is best for us, and make that decision as soon as they possibly can.
Sources:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CCD/introsheets/hemp.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html
http://archive.lewrockwell.com/spl2/reason-hemp-is-illegal.html
http://norml.org/legal