West Tennessee law enforcement learn more about hemp
MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office held a conference Monday afternoon, helping agencies learn more about hemp plants.
“We’re having a training on hemp for law enforcement across West Tennessee. This is the first time the state has even done it,” said Madison County Sheriff John Mehr.
Commonly mistaken for the illegal drug marijuana, there has been a growing interest in hemp and its many uses.
“There’s just so many things. There is 25,000 uses. But, you know, obviously the one we see the most now or are sort of the nutritional supplement type products,” said Joe Kirkpatrick, president lobbyist of the Tennessee Growers Coalition.
Learning the difference between these two plants can answer a lot of questions.
“Law enforcement runs into issues about whether it’s hemp or whether it’s marijuana. We felt like we ought to bring everybody together and to educate the officers,” Mehr said.
And what better way to do it than by visiting a hemp farm first hand, where officers can apply their learning.
“I think that’s the key: How to recognize it, understand it, and then they can explain it to other people,” Mehr said.
Mehr wants to be proactive in educating the officers and other agencies. He believes this will help West Tennessee as a whole.
“The key is to stay on the cutting edge of what’s happening on other parts of the country. If it happens on the west coast or the east coast, it’s going to come to us eventually,” Mehr said.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office hopes that awareness between the two plants will benefit officers in the field.
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