Desmond Thorsson is joining the ranks of a unique, if undistinguished, corps of American politics: the journalist turned politician.

In his former life as "Desmond Crisis," Thorsson was an independent radio and television personality. He hosted programs on USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy), and an AM radio network produced by the original broadcast division of CNET Networks (now a brand of CBS Interactive). Today, he is running for California’s 12th Congressional District (currently held by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi) as an independent

Video embedded from BenSwann.com

When many people hear industrial hemp, the first thing that may come to mind in marijuana. After all, there is a close association between the two, but perhaps not as close as one might think. In fact, the biggest thing that ties hemp and marijuana together is they are both members of the plant genus, Cannabis. It's the old SAT logic question: all marijuana varieties are Cannabis plants, but not all Cannabis plants are marijuana.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer is claiming that numerous state colleges and universities are poised to plant crops of industrial hemp now that President Obama has signed the new Farm Bill into law. The Farm Bill, which cleared Congress on February 4, permits pilot hemp-growing programs in states that have laws allowing its cultivation.

“What I have done is reached out to the universities that have expressed to me in wanting to do research on industrial hemp. We’re going to proceed and try to license as many farmers as we possibly can,” Comer avowed.