Читать книгу Craig Lee's Kentucky Hemp Story - Joe Domino - Страница 1

Of the many people I’ve encountered along “life’s path,” among the most interesting, genuine, and by far the most knowledgeable about hemp, in Kentucky and in the United States, is Craig Lee. In the year 2000, when I decided to engage in public advocacy for the reintroduction of hemp to Kentucky agriculture, our mutual friend, Gatewood Galbraith, guided me to Craig Lee.

After, nearly, two decades since my first conversation with Craig, I’ve come to refer to Craig as my “brother from another mother.” I absolutely love, and I learned so much from, the stories Craig has shared with me about his decades-long commitment to advance and restore hemp as an important commercial agricultural crop in Kentucky and the nation. Also, I’ve enjoyed stories of his growing up in Kentucky, his service in Vietnam, his travels with former Governor Louie Nunn, and his work with Alex White Plume and the Lakota Tribe in South Dakota. There are many more important Craig Lee stories still untold.

For many years, I have been strongly encouraging Craig to write down these stories. In the pages of this book—he’s only begun the task. I feel so privileged to have crossed paths with Craig and to have worked beside him while working with former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner (now Congressman) James Comer who revived the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commissionin 2012.

We walked the halls of Frankfort together meeting with and educating Kentucky Legislators who, ultimately, passed legislation known as Senate Bill 50 (SB50) in the 2013 legislative session. Since then, it’s clear that nothing will stop the revival of this important crop. Nothing will stop the farmers who need alternatives and/or the products that will be produced from this plant. A plant that will support U.S. agriculture, product development, and manufacturing for well into the foreseeable future.

While many people are important to the progress on this issue, since the prohibition of hemp in the 30s, Craig Lee stands with Jack Herer, Gatewood Galbraith, and a dozen or so other true pioneers of the revival of hemp. Without them and their relentless involvement, what is happening today would not have been possible. I stood on their shoulders and I could not have been more thankful for the experience and knowledge of having done so. All the good that will come from hemp production in Kentucky is unlimited and immeasurable.

Thank you, Craig, for sharing in this book just a small number of important stories about your experiences. I encourage you to continue documenting the many others you’ve shared with me over the years. I think people need to know where we came from and how we got here. And I think that you should be honored for your work. May you abundantly reap your just rewards for staying the course and making it possible for this crop to thrive once again.

Thank you for inviting and blessing me with the honor of writing this introduction!

County Judge Executive John Riley, Spencer County, Kentucky