Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today he is working with Attorney General Eric Holder on a way to release the hemp seeds that the state of Kentucky wants to import from Italy, but that customs officials have stopped because importation of hemp seeds is still illegal under federal law on the grounds that hemp is related to marijuana.

After a speech to the Organic Trade Association, Vilsack told reporters that he and Holder are trying to “create some level of consistency between the two.”

Vilsack also mentioned the issue on Tuesday in Denver, the Associated Press reported.

▪ Associated Press — Ag Secretary: U.S. Must Figure Out Hemp Production