Mayoral hopeful slash Congressman Bob Filner is one of a handful of new cosponsors of H.R. 1831, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011. The bill, introduced last year by Ron Paul, counts Filner among its 33 cosponsors.

If passed in conjunction with a similar Senate measure (Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has said he would sponsor such a bill, but is seeking a Republican cosponsor), H.R 1831 would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial-grade hemp, a fibrous plant related to marijuana but containing only trace amounts of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

While supporters hope the bill comes before the full house for debate before the close of the current session, it’s been stuck in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security since last June. Representative Darrell Issa serves as one of the Subcommittee’s 37 members.