Hemp just got a powerful new ally in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Monday he wants to legalize hemp production.
McConnell said he'd introduce a bill next week that would remove the plant from a list of controlled substances. He hopes hemp will be as big a cash crop for Kentucky in the future as tobacco was in the past.
Hemp is related to marijuana, and that's one of the reasons it was banned. But hemp has a much lower THC concentration than weed, meaning it won't get you high.
Hemp products aren't illegal in the U.S., but production is highly restricted.