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  Local Ag Leader Sees Benefits in Growing Hemp
Posted by CN Staff on January 28, 2006 at 08:43:18 PT
By Larry Mitchell, Staff Writer  
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record 

hemp Calif. -- A local Farm Bureau leader sees potential benefits for farmers in a bill that would legalize growing "industrial hemp," a plant related to marijuana.

"If it's something farmers in the area can grow and make money, and it's legal, I don't see any problem with it," said Tod Kimmelshue, a member of the boards of directors of both the state and Butte County Farm Bureau organizations.

Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico, doesn't share Kimmelshue's enthusiasm for Assembly Bill 1147, which passed the Assembly Thursday.

Keene said he and most other Republican Assembly members fear that making it legal to grow industrial hemp would create problems for law enforcement and perhaps encourage drug use.

The bill, authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, passed the Assembly by a vote of 44-32. Only one Republican supported the bill, Assemblyman Chuck Devore of Irvine, who co-authored the measure.

According to Leno, in 1937 the federal government mistakenly put hemp in the same category as marijuana because the plants look similar and both contain THC, the intoxicating chemical in marijuana. The difference is that hemp contains only a tiny amount of THC, not enough to have mind-altering effects on people.

Keene said he didn't see any need to legalize growing hemp. He said he was told that if there was cross-pollination between marijuana and hemp, the hemp's THC content could increase.

Keene said the legalization of growing hemp is advocated as "a first step" by those who wish to legalize growing marijuana.

Leno's bill now moves to the state Senate.

According to a legislative analysis of AB1147, industrial hemp can be used to make paper, clothing, rope, food products, biocomposite products that can replace fiberglass and plastics, biofuel to produce ethanol, and body-care products.

Statistics on hemp grown in Canada show the acreage has risen from 3,200 in 2001 to an estimated 10,000-15,000 in 2005. It is grown through dry-land farming and in irrigated environments. It has little need for pesticide as it shades out competing weeds.

Six states — Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and Virginia — have made it legal to grow hemp, but so far they only allow limited cultivation for research purposes, the analysis stated.

Kimmelshue said its conceivable hemp could become a viable crop in California.

"Farmers are always looking for new crops to grow," he said. "It all depends on the economics."

As long as hemp was grown for its value as a food, fiber or other products and it couldn't be used as a drug, Kimmelshue said he saw no reason to oppose legalizing its cultivation.

It "could be good for the local economy," he said.

BACKGROUND: Hemp, a relative of marijuana, is illegal to grow in California and most other states.

WHAT'S NEW: The state Assembly, on a party line vote, passed a bill that would allow farmers to raise "industrial hemp," which contains just tiny amounts of the intoxicating chemical in marijuana.

WHAT'S NEXT: The bill, co-authored by a Northern California Democrat and a Southern California Republican, now moves to the Senate.

Newshawk: Mayan
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Author: Larry Mitchell, Staff Writer
Published: January 28, 2006
Copyright: 2006 The Media News Group
Contact: letters@chicoer.com
Website: http://www.chicoer.com/

Related Articles:

Calif. Assembly Passes Hemp-Farming Bill
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21525.shtml

Effort Arises To Legalize Industrial Hemp
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21490.shtml

Committee OKs Bill Letting Farmers Grow Hemp
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21474.shtml


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Comment #23 posted by Hope on January 31, 2006 at 05:06:43 PT
Maybe that's what ditch weed eradication
is really all about. Mustn't let little boys get hold of things that could put their eye out.

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Comment #22 posted by museman on January 29, 2006 at 20:40:21 PT:

Max
That reminded me of the time back in Overland Park, we used to use the hemp stalks for spears and arrows in our (boyhood) war games. I have a scar under my right eye where I was shot with a hemp arrow.

American ditch weed, remnants of Hemp for Victory from WWII. Grew everywhere in the midwest when I was a lad.

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Comment #21 posted by Max Flowers on January 29, 2006 at 16:49:48 PT
Hemp
There are plenty of wild hemp varieties that still grow today in many parts of the US. These varieties are by this point in time "land-race" types and could not be under any kind of patent. These are related to the varieties grown here in the 1700s.

I don't care what kind of patent-selling went on under Reagan, a person has a natural right under the Constitution to grow a beneficial crop here, it doesn't matter what Canada does or doesn't do (no offense meant to Canada).

Those patents must be related to innovations that involve processing the hemp fibers. The right to grow the plant and sell the fiber can't be taken away by anyone.

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Comment #20 posted by museman on January 29, 2006 at 16:26:01 PT:

FoM
there's nothing about the WOD that makes any sense, I have no misplaced faith in this government, and my trust in it's resemblance to truth, justice, or any of the finer aspects of humanity died around 1971.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #19 posted by FoM on January 29, 2006 at 15:40:10 PT
museman
I have been checking and haven't found anything. I've tried different search words and nothing. I can't imagine that we wouldn't be able to grow Hemp here in the states when the laws are finally changed. It doesn't make sense as to why Canada would have rights on a plant like Hemp that is universal.

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Comment #18 posted by museman on January 29, 2006 at 14:58:42 PT:

FoM Hemp patents
That link was very helpful on one level, as I delved deeper I discovered that there are no hemp related AMERICAN patents before 2003. What happened to them?

Also these patents have absolutely nothing to do with the old usages of hemp, these are all chemical recombinations, a lot of them having to do with synthetic fibers combined with hemp. I can't find a reference to hemp at all in some of these patents listed under 'Hemp'.

I perused through about 1,000 of 'em. There are 6,401 of them. It would take me all day to get to the end. As of #1,000 there is nothing older than 2003.

If somebody has the time they could confirm whether or not there are any remaining hemp patents from before 1980 or so when Reagan is reputed to have sold them to Canada.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #17 posted by Hope on January 29, 2006 at 14:52:21 PT
Museman
*smile*...You're probably right...when "they" aren't lifting our paychecks or raping our Constitution.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #16 posted by museman on January 29, 2006 at 14:23:01 PT:

Hope #13
"I didn't know that a nation's citizen's right to grow a plant could be sold away."

Considering the history of Prohibition, and the original reasons; I.E. William R. Hearst, J.P. Lily Drug Co., and the MCA, the whole idea of 'rights' takes on whole new meanings.

"Do lawmakers know this and are just wasting these people's time that want to grow hemp?"

Considering our 'lawmakers' are all part of the same high-society club, wasting peoples time is what they are all about.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #15 posted by FoM on January 29, 2006 at 14:12:13 PT
museman
Here's a link about plant patents.

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/plant/index.html

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #14 posted by museman on January 29, 2006 at 13:58:12 PT:

hemp patents
Well, I just spent about an hour attempting to find you documentation. The results force me to concede that either I have admitted 'hearsay' into my 'facts' library, or the powers that be have successfully covered it up, or no one has discussed this issue and there is nothing (I can find) to support the statement.

I am sure that my original source came through accepted mainstream media, quite a few years ago, and I have heard it from other people sources over the years, so I am not ready to completely disregard it. Maybe someone here can find that info?

If I err, it would be good to know.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #13 posted by Hope on January 28, 2006 at 23:14:18 PT
Museman
Patents? I thought regular plants couldn't be patented. You mentioned something earlier about Canada actually having bought away our rights to grow the plant some years ago. I didn't know that a nation's citizen's right to grow a plant could be sold away. Could you explain? Do lawmakers know this and are just wasting these people's time that want to grow hemp?

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #12 posted by museman on January 28, 2006 at 22:50:55 PT:

divinetribe #11
Check out the patents for hemp - they all belong to Canada. Gotta get their permission and the associated fees and taxes. Thank 'ol Ronnie and GW SR. for that.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #11 posted by divinetribe on January 28, 2006 at 22:29:08 PT:

So when Can I start planting
WHen will this bill get passed or declined ? Does anyone know when the next hearing is? I would like to be there. I always dreamed of growing my own food, and textiles.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 28, 2006 at 22:27:23 PT
museman
Very interesting. Many years ago when I still went to Church some things just didn't make sense in the Bible no matter how hard I tried to figure it out. Now I understand some of the things I didn't understand and I haven't read my Bible for 15 years or more.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #9 posted by museman on January 28, 2006 at 22:10:36 PT:

nest of hornets
It conjures up some very biblical images.

Daniel warned us of a time when we would "see the 'abomination of desolation' standing in (the) Holy place..." and this would be the time to drop everything and 'run for the hills'. Y'shua also made reference to this prophecy.

If it is thought that the 'abomination of desolation' is not WAR than it's understanding needs some updating.

War is standing in the Holy Temple. Is it enough to understand the implication, or must we have further sign?

Locusts, and hornets are referred to in Revelations-depending on the translation- as one of the plagues.

The contrast between the knowledge that GW and his cronies, along with their power elite 'base' are wrong, corrupted, and continue to uphold their lies in the face if the light of day and evidence against them, and the actual power of their denial in continuing their agenda of deceit, political/economic conquest, and establishing the Ultimate One World Republic is staggering.

The flaws in this system are being revealed quite strikingly in this way, but the resemblance to other passages in Revelations having to do with the inability of anyone to successfully 'make war on the beast' (as in Victory) are pretty interesting as well.

Billions upon billions now know that the Emperor wears no robes of right and due office, but only the conjured inflation of lies, covering the other lies beneath the ones that we can see. Still the wars march on, the innocent suffer for stupid and ignorant reasons, and every victory is overshadowed by the sheer immensity of the (seemingly) unstoppable juggernaut heading all aboard and in it's path towards destruction.

We are heading for or are already at a crux in time, a point of unavoidable reckoning for our race. Up to this point, collective and individual choices could have made a completely different reality than the one we have today.

I believe that choice, and specially 'informed responsible decisions' still holds hope, yet that beast just keeps on lumbering along it's blind destructive path, and every day the body count grows and grows.

That monkey in the white house is the closest thing to the Anti-christ I've seen yet, but him and his accomplices are only the tip of a very old and nasty iceberg just now rising to the surface.

There is an incredible amount of orchestration in the world arena. The players are not all so easily identified, and the historical connections between nations, families and tribes going back a few millennia is the stuff of legends and hollywood movies. Yet these things are at the heart of it.

Very little exists in the way of 'accessable, complete, records to substantiate such legendary tales of human bondage and subjugation, just a few notes here and there, a couple of ancient poems or what have you.

However as is being demonstrated by the way that we can view the obvious hypocrisy of our own lying leaders, perhaps with the same kind of 'evidence' we might review our myths and legends with a bit more credibility.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #8 posted by FoM on January 28, 2006 at 17:42:57 PT
mayan
Thanks for the link. I agree that we have created these religious extremists. There's an old saying that goes something like this. There aren't any atheists in fox holes. When a section of the world feels threatened it will turn to whatever their religion is for guidance. Don't politicians know that?

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #7 posted by mayan on January 28, 2006 at 17:35:53 PT
FoM
Here is an enlightening piece by a pretty bright fellow...

Catastrophe Looms - by Paul Craig Roberts: http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts144.html

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 28, 2006 at 16:12:23 PT
mayan
I understand what you are saying. I always hoped that the United States would stay out of the politics surrounding Jerusalem. That is where, if a person believes the Bible, the Battle of Armageddon will happen. When I studied the Book of Revelation many years ago I thought well our government knows the importance of staying out of the affairs in that part of the world. They didn't stay out of it. It scares but it also annoys me since we should have known better. If Hamas moves on Jerusalem all hell will break loose.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #5 posted by mayan on January 28, 2006 at 15:58:43 PT
FoM
Stirring up the hornet's nest is no accident. Perpetual war is very profitable for the military industrial complex and the chicken-hawks in our government. War is their excuse to dismantle Our Constitution and transfer wealth. But first, they will likely need another "terror attack". I hope we don't get fooled again.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 28, 2006 at 12:36:07 PT
museman
I'll tell you what I think. This administration has stirred up a hornets nest. I was reading about the elections in the middle east. It seems like it could explode into chaos at any time.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #3 posted by museman on January 28, 2006 at 12:30:03 PT:

Republicans
Pretty predictable lot aren't they? Cast from the same mold, seems like. All spouting the same nonsense as their monkey leader and his demon team. Personally I think we should PROHIBIT the use of stupidity in politics, now there's a law to enforce!

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #2 posted by runruff on January 28, 2006 at 09:07:06 PT:

They'er holding hands under the table.
The Repulicans are romancing the industries or vice versa. They are using a strawman argument that needs always to be pointed out. Everyne who wants cannabis to smoke can get. Prohibiton is not working. Anyone who wants to grow hemp for industry cannot. So far this twisted logic has worked for the timber, cotton, and oil, industries. Mr. Keene's logic is a transparent attempt to protect his supporters even at the cost of jobs and properity that could come to thousand or millons through the cultivation of the most valuble plant on the planet.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 28, 2006 at 08:45:42 PT
Two NORML Related Articles
NORML Participants To Roll in Grass Revolution: http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/news/2006/10762.html

Under the Table: Transcend the Herbal Gap: http://www.ucsbdailynexus.com/opinion/2006/10757.html

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