In just about every way, Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller exemplifies some common traits of being a Texan and if you were to Google Image search “Texan”, an image of Miller may very well appear. A pro-smaller government conservative and eighth-generation farmer/rancher who’s won multiple awards from Calf Roping Association while serving over 12 years in the Texas House of Representatives, the Stephenville native has done it all while donning his signature white cowboy hat.
And although he does believe in the sometimes conservative belief of cannabis with THC remaining illegal, Commissioner Miller has become a strong, outspoken supporter of industrial hemp production for Texan farmers. Based on Miller’s decades of experience, he’s well aware of the many commodities that hemp has the potential to produce and sees the crop as a new opportunity for farmers to possibly thrive upon the growth of. And the commissioner’s vocal support doesn’t only stop at casual mentions during interviews either.
This past December, Miller urged Congress to lift the ban on industrial hemp and just recently spoke with groups of agricultural sciences students in Abilene where he emphasized the importance of hemp when asked about newly popular trends in the agricultural industry.
In both the meeting with the Abilene agricultural sciences students and in a recent interview with Austin ABC affiliate KVUE, Miller stressed the importance and usefulness of this crop as well as the longstanding history of hemp in relation to America. Among a few examples during the interview, Miller mentioned how founding father and the country’s first president George Washington grew hemp on his farm.
“I’d like to give farmers another tool in their toolbox.” Miller said.
Miller also informed KVUE that the Texas Department of Agriculture has been receiving countless inquiries and questions about the legalities surrounding hemp following the passing of The Farming Act of 2018 in Congress. Sadly though, Miller reaffirmed that hemp is still illegal in Texas, as the bill passed in Congress only gave the states the right to vote on industrial hemp production.
To legalize the production of industrial hemp, Texas would have to rely on their Legislature to change the agricultural penal codes and statutes along with rescheduling it on the Controlled Substances List. Unfortunately for farmers interested in utilizing hemp on their properties, any potential bills authorizing industrial hemp production wouldn’t be passed in time for hemp planting season in the spring by Miller’s predictions.
However, the long-time Texas politician didn’t only focus on the local politics behind industrial hemp legalization during the course of this interview. Miller then shared further insight for Texan farmers when hemp production does become legalized and exactly how to go about conducting an inaugural harvest for a crop with so much potential.
“My prediction is that when this crop becomes available, it’ll be overplanted. Farmers can be their own worst enemy sometimes. If you’re a farmer who’s considering growing hemp, make sure you have a contract for your crop. Otherwise, you may have a crop that you can’t sell.” Miller urged.
Due to both THC still remaining illegal in any form in Texas and the very possible cross-pollination of hemp plants with plants containing the prohibited cannabinoid, Miller says that the Department of Agriculture will implement regulations that ensure the industrial hemp plants and their CBD products aren’t being cross-pollinated with any psychoactive plants.
Although Miller has become a strong voice in industrial hemp legalization, he reassured Texans that hemp production in Texas isn’t a “backdoor” to full-fledged, THC-containing recreational cannabis legalization.
“This is about producing a lot of products, over 2500 made from hemp.”
Miller then stated that while he opposes the recreational uses of cannabis and doesn’t support such legalization, he very much supports medical uses of the plant.
“I certainly support the medical use. If we can help somebody and improve their quality of life and health, I certainly want to support that. But I draw the line at recreational use.”
Miller ended the interview by telling Texan farmers interested in hemp to be patient because the process of authorizing the cultivation of a new crop requires the Department of Agriculture to create regulations surrounding field inspections and the incredibly complicated matter of ensuring that industrial hemp plants remain barren of THC.
Either way, Texas won’t legally be producing hemp until 2020 at the earliest. As thrilling and rewarding as it is for Texan farmers to have new agricultural opportunities in a maritime climate that’s nearly perfect for close to all types of agriculture, passing a bill in the Texas Legislature and then subsequently creating regulations and laws about the production of hemp will take a good amount of time to come to fruition.