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Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Hemp's Popularity Grows In States, InternationallyStates, Farmers Across US Clamor For New Cash Crop; Meanwhile, US Drug Enforcement Administration Bans Hemp FoodsLegislation to allow Vermont farmers to cultivate hemp passed an important committee in the state House. The Rutland Herald reported on Jan. 31, 2008 ("VT House OKs Hemp Farming Bill") that "Lawmakers in the House Agriculture Committee unanimously approved a bill that would allow Vermont farmers to grow hemp, a benign cousin of marijuana that boasts a variety of industrial applications. A federal statute criminalizing the plant supercedes Vermont's legislation, so Green Mountain hemp won't go to sprout anytime soon. But advocates of the hemp bill say it positions local farmers to capitalize on the potentially profitable crop if and when the Drug Enforcement Administration finally relents. 'Eventually, the federal government is going to have to change its policy on hemp,' said Amy Shollenberger, executive director of Rural Vermont. 'We see this bill ... as making sure farmers in Vermont are on the front lines when it does.'" According to the Herald, "Law enforcement officials in Vermont did not respond to an interview request for this story. Rep. David Zuckerman, a Burlington Progressive, chairs the House Agriculture Committee. He said Wednesday that testimony from law enforcement officials in Canada, where hemp is legal, indicate the two plants are easily distinguished. 'The reality, we've learned, is that should not be a concern,' Zuckerman said. 'Clearly, the 11-0 vote out of committee shows that the knowledge we learned created support across a broad political spectrum.'" The Herald noted that "Lawmakers in the Agriculture Committee said they hope to see the bill go to a floor vote soon." Two North Dakota farmers, one of whom is a Republican state representative, are suing the US Drug Enforcement Administration to force the government to allow them to grow hemp for industrial purposes. USA Today reported on June 18, 2007 ("2 Farmers Suing DEA Over Right To Grow Hemp") that "Two North Dakota farmers who want to grow hemp are filing a federal lawsuit today to challenge the Drug Enforcement Administration's ban on the plant that is the same species that produces marijuana. Hemp can be imported from Canada, Europe and China, but growing hemp in the USA is illegal, the DEA says. 'Hemp is marijuana,' DEA spokesman Garrison Courtney says. 'There's no distinguishing feature between marijuana and hemp.' Lawyers for the farmers say the Controlled Substances Act, which governs illegal drugs, makes a specific exception for hemp, a non-drug version of the marijuana plant. They are seeking a court ruling that says the federal authorities cannot arrest the North Dakota farmers for growing hemp. The federal government used to encourage farmers to grow what is known as 'industrial hemp,' says attorney Joseph Sandler in Washington, D.C., who is representing the farmers. Hemp plants have a low concentration of the psychoactive chemical that gives marijuana users a high, he said." According to USA Today, "North Dakota's Legislature began considering allowing farmers to grow hemp more than 10 years ago after disease wiped out the wheat and barley crop, says state Rep. Dave Monson, a Republican leader in the Legislature and one of the farmers filing the lawsuit. In 1993, the disease was so bad, 'we actually burned every acre of wheat and barley we produced,' says Monson, who lives in Osnabrock. 'I came to the realization that we needed alternative crops.' Just across the North Dakota border, farmers in Canada are growing hemp and making a profit, he says. U.S. manufacturers who use hemp to produce textiles, soaps and other materials must import the crop from countries that allow hemp farming. A North Dakota State University study in 1997 found a good market for hemp in the USA, so the Legislature passed laws to regulate hemp farming, Monson said. The laws require background checks on the farmers and monitoring to make sure illicit marijuana crops aren't growing in the middle of the hemp field, he says. Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson issued the first permits on Feb. 6 to Monson and Wayne Hauge, a farmer and accountant in Ray, N.D. The farmers applied Feb. 12 for a DEA license, indicating they would need a decision by April 1 in time to plant the crop." USA Today noted that "'I think it's pretty apparent that they are quite clearly choosing not to exercise their authority to distinguish between hemp and marijuana,' says Johnson, who met with DEA officials in February. 'It's pointless to continue dealing with them,' Johnson says. 'Their inaction is a pretty clear indication that they're not taking the application process seriously. It's been an issue 10 years in the making.' Monson and Hauge say the time to plant the hemp has passed. Monson planted wheat in his field on June 1." Legislation to allow hemp production in California passed the state legislature but was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported on Oct. 3, 2006 ("Governor Vetoes The Legalization Of Hemp Over The Weekend") that "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's weekend decision to veto a bill that legalized growing hemp in California was greeted with disdain by the state assemblyman who supported it. The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau also was frustrated with the veto, saying growers are always looking for viable crop alternatives, and that hemp could have been one given demand. But Schwarzenegger, in a statement Saturday, said while he supports the development of new crops in the state, he felt he could not approve the legalization of hemp, a type of cannabis related to marijuana but without the euphoric effects: 'Unfortunately, I am very concerned that this bill would give legitimate growers a false sense of security and a belief that production of 'industrial hemp' is somehow a legal activity under federal law.' State Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, introduced AB 1147 this year to reduce the reliance of U.S. man-ufacturers on imported hemp from Canada and China. Monday, Leno called the veto just 'short of absurd.' 'It's just another example of myth and politics trumping science and sound public policy,' Leno said. 'But we're not through yet. We're not going to give up. I'll probably try to introduce it again ... in January.'" According to the Sentinel, "The bill passed both the Assembly and the Senate, with backers stressing that industrial hemp is a $300 million industry in the United States but that it cannot be grown here legally. 'Farmers could have made so much money by capitalizing on the popularity of the industry, but now they're just going to continue to lose it,' Leno said. Products made of hemp are common, and it can be found in clothes, food, snack bars, even paper. Proponents of the bill pointed to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which was penned on hemp. But the governor, with advice from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said there currently is no legal distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana, which contains tetrahydrocannabinols. THC creates euphoria when consumed; its production and consumption are outlawed by the federal government." The Sentinel noted that "North Dakota is the only state that allows growing hemp for industrial purposes. 'You'd have to smoke a joint the size of telephone pole in order to get a headache,' said Ken Junkert of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture in Bismarck. The state's decision to legalize hemp was to diversify crops in a state where agriculture has taken a financial hit of late but still remains the No. 1 industry. Hemp is a perfect plant, Junkert said, because it grows in all sorts of conditions and requires no pesticides or herbicides. It also serves as a rotational crop, putting nutrients back in the soil. But even Junkert anticipates legal problems. Though farmers can now apply for a license to grow hemp, he expects DEA opposition, which could lead to legal battles. 'We'll know in the next couple of months as farmers come in and start to apply for the permits,' he said." West Virginia Legislature Set To Approve HempLegislation to approve hemp production is near final passage in the state of West Virginia. The Charleston Daily Mail reported on March 5, 2002 ( "Hemp Bill Questions Remain") that "The House Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the bill. It has already been approved by the Senate. The legislation would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp for use in products like clothing, rope, paper, bath products and car dashboards." Lead sponsor of the bill Sen. Karen Facemyer, R-Jackson, says that "'This is probably one of the biggest economic development packages we have in front of us this year,' she said." "The law's opponents point out that federal rules may make hemp production difficult. The Daily Mail noted that "But even if it becomes law, West Virginians might not be able to grow the marijuana-like plant without breaking the law, said Bill Steffick of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration." Unfortunately Mr. Steffic was unable to answer many of the Daily Mail's questions. As the paper reported, "'I would imagine that a lot of this -- as long as we don't get involved with the human consumption issue -- a lot of this will resolve itself,' Steffick said about growing industrial hemp. What's the bottom line? Is it legal to grow, manufacture, buy or sell industrial hemp that is not for human consumption? 'You have some questions there that I basically can't answer because this is just an area that there's going to have to be some more discussion on this,' Steffick said. He referred further questions to his agency's Washington headquarters. No representative from that office was available for comment Monday afternoon." The West Virginians have the experience of Hawaii to draw upon. As the Daily Mail reported, "Hawaii passed legislation in 1999 similar to what West Virginia is now considering. The state is finding out first hand how the Drug Enforcement Administration treats industrial hemp cultivation. A single, privately funded, experimental plot of the crop is growing in the Aloha State, said a legislative analyst for Hawaii State Representative Cynthia Thielen, a proponent of the state's industrial hemp project. The crop is being cultivated by academic researchers at an undisclosed location, surrounded by barbed wire and protected by a security system, Melody Heidel said. She said the bill approved by the Hawaii state legislation to legalize the test plot is going to expire soon. Hawaii's Legislature is considering legislation that would extend the deadline. 'Part of the issue is that three years really is not enough time agriculturally to have really accurate results,' Heidel said. Despite the obstacles, Heidel was optimistic about hemp's prospects in Hawaii. This year's legislation will likely pass, she said." Hemp Activists, Industry Leaders, And Policy Reformers Protest DEA Rule Banning Hemp FoodsDrug reform activists along with leaders of the US hemp industry held actions to protest a federal rule by the US Drug Enforcement Administration which prohibits use of hemp in food products (for more information on the rule, see below). Demonstrators held 'Taste Tests' at DEA offices and other federal buildings around the country, including New York City, Philadelphia, Hartford, CT, and DEA headquarters in Arlington, VA. As the Hartford Courant reported on Dec. 11, 2001 ( "Let Them Eat Hemp?"), "Opponents of the proposal say the hemp part of the cannabis plant contains so little THC that it would be virtually impossible to get high off any product that uses it. Haley (Booth Haley, Wesleyan University Students for Sensible Drug Policy) said banning hemp products based on their level of THC is like banning poppy seeds for their trace amounts of opiates. Many speculate that the new interpretation is due to the complications hemp products cause in drug testing. Often, people who test positive for marijuana claim they had recently ingested a hemp food product. The DEA says that it is simply staying consistent in regard to its drug laws. Hemp products on the market include pasta, waffles, bread, snack bars and hemp nut butter, which are sold at several health food stores in the state."
The DEA's ban covers a wide variety of products, as the
Madison, WI Shepherd Express noted on Dec. 6, 2001 (
"Hemp Food Ban Hits Here"):
Several columns and other articles questioning the DEA's
actions have appeared, including
"White House Watch: A New Age Of Reefer Madness"
by Ann McFeatters of the Toledo Blade, and
"Seeds Of Discord" by Jacob Sullum in Reason Magazine.
For more information on the hemp foods ban, and on hemp products
generally, check out these websites:
Lawmakers In Iowa, Other Midwestern States, Jump On Hemp BandwagonLegislators in Iowa from both major parties
are involved in an effort to
legalize hemp production in the state.
The
Iowa State Daily story quotes one
of the Iowa hemp bill's sponsors,
full-time farmer and
State Sen. Paul Zieman (R-Postville):
In Illinois, the state legislature passed a hemp research bill early in January 2001 to authorize two state universities to research industrial hemp. The state senate had already passed the measure in spring 2000. Supporters include Don Briskin, professor of plant physiology at the University of Illinois. In an interview with the Springfield (IL) State Journal-Register, Briskin says he can "see hemp production adding to rural economic development in Illinois." Professor Briskin is joined in his optimism by a number of officials and researchers in Canada, where a number of provinces are already conducting their own experiments in hemp production. In particular, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Municipal Affairs has an extensive bibliography of materials available online. Researchers and agriculture specialists are also engaging in development of industrial hemp crops. Strains of hemp which naturally contain practically no THC have been developed already, and standards for separation of strains have been developed by the Canadian Seedgrowers Association to ensure that no drug-crop cannabis pollenates the hemp crops (and vice versa (the Seedgrowers Association is recognized in Canada's Seeds Act as the official body responsible for establishing standards for maintenance of genetic purity during the production of seed). Opponents argue that legalization of any kind of cannabis, even industrial hemp -- which is reportedly useless as an intoxicant -- would send the wrong message. Supporters argue they are trying to help farmers by letting them grow a crop that is legally produced by several of our current trading partners. US authorities are preparing to cut off the budding US hemp industry. At the end of 2000, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced it is preparing rules which would effectively ban hemp products such as cloth, lip balm, bird seed in the US. Canadian officials fear that they will lose an important market if this happens. Brian Wilson, crop diversification manager for Manitoba Agriculture and Food, told the Winnipeg Sun that hemp "is a young industry, but it does have a lot of potential. We depend, in agriculture, very much on export markets -- we don't have a large population base in Canada. If the US does something to restrict our access to the market it disrupts our economy very, very much." The hemp industry is organizing a defense. SaveHemp.org is working on raising public awareness and mobilizing support for the DEA to abandon its attempt to ban hemp.
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