The bill would allow hemp production to increase in subsequent years. Senator Casey believes the endorsement of the AFBF will have a large impact on the passage of his bill. In addition to the AFBF endorsement, industrial hemp production has been endorsed by the Colorado Farm Bureau, the Kentucky Farm Bureau, the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council, and other farming associations. Bob Winter, president of the Weld County Farm Bureau, is working with Colorado State University to develop a research plan for the first hemp crop in Colorado. Companies such as International Paper, Masonite, and Inland Container Corporation have expressed interested in Colorado hemp as an alternative fiber source.
Environmental groups see hemp as an alternative to trees for paper.
The support of the American Farm Bureau Federation adds great credibility to the industrial hemp movement.