Senator Lamar Alexander on Friday praised the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to approve the state of Tennessee’s application to import certified industrial hemp seeds for research purposes. Senator Alexander thanked Attorney General Loretta Lynch for working with DEA and the state of Tennessee to approve Tennessee’s registration and import permit application.
“I want to thank you for working with DEA and the state of Tennessee to approve Tennessee’s application, which will allow our state to begin its pilot program this year,” Senator Alexander told Ms.
Lynch at a subcommittee hearing on Thursday. “This is a very important issue for Tennessee’s agricultural department, and I appreciate your being responsive to our requests.”
Last month, Senators Alexander and Bob Corker sent a letter to then-Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s application, which had been filed with the DEA last year, be approved. At Thursday’s hearing, Senator Alexander told Ms. Lynch that approval of this application was a “practical matter,” as seeds must be planted by early May in order to have quality data collected to determine if Tennessee is well-suited for industrial hemp production.
Senator Alexander also questioned Ms. Lynch about other issues at the hearing, including substance abuse and methamphetamine lab seizures in Tennessee. Regarding substance abuse, Senator Alexander received a commitment from Ms. Lynch to work with drug wholesalers and pharmacies that register with DEA to ensure there is clear guidance on the definition of a “suspicious order” so that drug wholesalers and pharmacies can better balance patient access with the important fight against prescription drug abuse. Senator Alexander also pressed Ms. Lynch on the methamphetamine problem in Tennessee, calling on her to request additional funding for the Methamphetamine Laboratory Cleanup program and the competitive grant program for state Anti-Methamphetamine Task Forces, which are working to keep meth out of communities.