Oregon should be a national leader in industrial hemp production, which can fuel economic development in rural communities, inspire entrepreneurs and meet rising consumer demand, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer said Saturday.

"I think the stakes are high for Oregon," Blumenauer told a group of industrial hemp supporters at a forum he organized in Portland Saturday.

The Portland Democrat, an outspoken advocate of industrial hemp, said momentum is building for the crop in Oregon and in other states. He pointed to a letter he received on Friday from Oregon's U.S. attorney, Amanda Marshall, as a positive step for hemp production in the state.