cannabisnews.com: Petition Drive Under Way To Put Hemp On Ballot Petition Drive Under Way To Put Hemp On Ballot Posted by FoM on December 08, 2001 at 16:46:14 PT By Kelly Sprecher, The Daily Republic Source: Daily Republic At first glance, chances are that nobody would expect longtime Mitchell resident Gladys Baldwin to be a hemp supporter. But Baldwin - a retired realtor, the daughter of a farmer, an active community member and a senior citizen - is among those who say it may be a good idea to legalize the growth and production of industrial hemp in South Dakota.A petition, started by Hermosa artist Bob Newland, is criss-crossing its way through South Dakota, hoping to secure enough signatures to land an initiated measure on the 2002 ballot that would ask voters to allow the growth and production of hemp. Proponents call it smart. In a state where value-added agriculture seems to be the only way to combat dwindling crop prices, they say hemp production makes sense. Foes, on the other hand, say the problems that are guaranteed to follow the legalization and production of hemp would far outweigh its benefits. It's a debate that Baldwin is watching closely. "I'm for anything that will help the farmer," she said. Hemp Facts The average Joe calls it ditchweed. Close, but not quite, according to Diane Sevening, assistant drug studies professor at the University of South Dakota. Formerly known as Indian Hemp, the plant belongs to the cannabis family and is a cousin to sativa cannabis and cannabis indica, or, more commonly, marijuana. What sets hemp apart from its relatives, Sevening said, is its potency. "Hemp actually has a very low concentration of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) - the active ingredient in cannabis. So, if a person were to grow hemp and try to smoke it, it wouldn't be as addictive as marijuana." Figures from the North American Industrial Hemp Council, Inc., rate the THC content of industrial hemp between 0.5 percent and 1 percent. In comparison, marijuana has a THC content between 3 percent and 20 percent. Put into perspective, the Council says, a person would have to smoke between 10 and 12 hemp-made cigarettes in a short timeframe in order to reach the same psychoactive effect of one low-potency marijuana cigarette. And, because of hemp's high-fiber content, 10-12 cigarettes would be the equivalent of digesting three to four doses of a high-fiber laxative. But potency is not at the heart of the issue, educators and law enforcement officials say. The law is. Hemp and marijuana both fall under the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's definition of Cannabis sativa - a varied species of plant which, in the U.S., is illegal to possess, produce or distribute. Because hemp and marijuana plants look similar and, according to Sevening, rely on similar types of climates and conditions to grow, law enforcement officials say hemp producers would most certainly face tight scrutiny. "We arrest based on probable cause," said Lyndon Overweg, assistant Mitchell police chief and coordinator of the James Valley Drug Task Force. "If we think it's probably marijuana, they're going to get arrested." South Dakota Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Long agrees. "I don't know if you could visually distinguish the hemp that would be legal from the hemp that would be illegal," he said. "In a field of corn, several rows might be field corn and several rows might be sweet corn, but I'm not bright enough to tell the difference. I'm sure that's one of the things law enforcement is concerned about - that they won't be able to tell the difference." The James Valley Drug Task Force is staffed with one full-time agent and manned by representatives from the Mitchell Police Division and Hanson, Sanborn, Davison and Aurora County sheriff's department officers. Task force members communicate between each other in an effort to control and eliminate illegal drug crimes by being both proactive and reactive, Overweg said. Proactive measures include the surveillance of presumably cultivated marijuana plants while reactive measures involve field tests, which officers administer to the plant itself to determine if the THC agent is present. And today, Overweg said, anyone cultivating a cannabis plant, regardless of the THC potency, faces legal penalties. "Take cocaine," he said. "A small amount of cocaine or a large amount of cocaine is still cocaine. The penalty is the same regardless of the potency." The bottom line, educators and law enforcement officials say, is that people are innovative. Sevening said it would not be difficult for industrial hemp growers to create, grow and harvest plants higher in THC levels by using fairly simple hybrid methods. "They (growers) could include seeds from cannabis (indica) into the hemp. Then it could have the same psychoactive effects (as marijuana)," she said. The Push To Legalize Hemp is already growing, in abundance, across South Dakota's prairie. Newland estimates that roughly half a million acres of the plant exist in the state today because of, ironically enough, past government efforts. The U.S. government guaranteed Midwest farmers a market if they could grow and produce hemp during WWII. Government officials provided seed to farmers as part of a war effort designed to produce hemp-made rope, parachute and web belts, and lubricating oils for branches of the military. And today, Newland said, the U.S. imports nearly $300 million a year of hemp and hemp-made products, something he finds grossly unfair. "Canadian hemp is trucked past barely surviving South Dakota farms," he said. "I'm interested in good government and I think that the governmental stand on industrial hemp illustrates graphically the absurdity of federal policy on many things." Newland, who is also president of the South Dakota chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said he has collected more than 5,000 of the 13,010 signatures necessary to land the measure on next year's ballot. He has until May 7 to collect the rest. The petition, he says, asks for hemp to be separated from marijuana by the THC content. Passage of the measure, he said, would remove South Dakota's barriers on industrial hemp production. But that doesn't mean a victory. Cannabis sativa would still be considered a controlled substance by the federal government, even if South Dakota voters were to pass Newland's proposed measure. The vote would merely send a message to Congress. A message, Newland said, that would speak measures. "During prohibition, 10 states removed their barriers from producing (and distributing) alcohol," Newland said. "That sent a message to Congress to change its policies." Newland's aim is to convince the federal government to change the controlled substances act and separate hemp from marijuana, something he says only makes sense. "Hemp seed oil is the direct replacement for diesel fuel," he said. "South Dakota could produce enough hemp seed oil to meet the nation's need for diesel fuel. Everyone's talking about renewable fuels, but they refuse to talk about the best source for renewable fuel." "As long as I'm a single voice, they can dismiss me as a wacko," Newland said. "But now that we have 5,000 more voices, we'll be much harder to dismiss." The North American Hemp Council currently lists more than 25,000 uses for industrial hemp ranging from rope to paper to carpet and even soap. Those numbers, Baldwin says, are hard to ignore. "If we're going to keep importing it, why not just grow it right here in America," she said. In a report issued by North Dakota State University's Department of Agricultural Economics in 1997, researchers recorded 22 countries, including Canada, which successfully produce industrial hemp. But numbers aren't everything, according to Michael Held, administrative director for the South Dakota Farm Bureau. "I've heard the argument, but I'm sure it wouldn't take very many acres to saturate the market," he said. "I visited with some Canadian farmers and hemp is a very, very minor crop in Canada. Plus, they (Canadian farmers) had a surplus of hemp, so farmers were trying to figure out how to get rid of their product." The Farm Bureau, Held said, is designed to increase net farm income and improve rural living. Its membership, recorded at more than 10,000 families, pays a $45 annual fee for its advocacy. Held said hemp growth and production in South Dakota is neither supported nor rejected by the Farm Bureau. "We had our annual meeting last week and while we've looked at the hemp question over the last couple of years, we have not adopted a position either way." The South Dakota Farmers Union, on the other hand, passed a resolution to support Newland's petition at its state convention last week in Sioux Falls. "There is a possibility for some ag producers to make some money here," said Chuck Groth, communications director for the South Dakota Farmers Union, a farm-advocacy organization with more than 12,000 farm families. "I don't personally believe that industrial hemp is going to solve the problems of agriculture in South Dakota or in the country," he said. "It's no more the answer than raising emus, ostriches or bison - these are niche markets, and in that light, we view it as something that should be legalized." Groth calls it a peripheral issue. "We've got other irons in the fire that we feel are more important to agriculture. We'll (continue) to look at our commodities, such as wheat, corn and cattle, and we're working on a farm bill in Washington that will have a much greater impact on how farm families do in South Dakota over the next few years," he said. Complete Title: Petition Drive Under Way To Put Hemp Issue on 2002 BallotSource: Daily Republic, The (SD)Author: Kelly Sprecher, The Daily RepublicPublished: December 08, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Forum Communications CompanyContact: dailynews mitchellrepublic.comWebsite: http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/Related Article & Web Sites:SoDakNORMLhttp://www.sodaknorml.org/FTE's Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmCannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtmlMan Aims To Put Hemp, Medical Marijuana On Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8980.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by QcStrt on December 09, 2001 at 11:26:37 PT OIL This is where your President and Vice President make money from Foreign OIL, So don't look for anything good for the people to go forth. They can put in Power plants that burn clean, and fuel them from Hemp oil. ""But numbers aren't everything, according to Michael Held, administrative director for the South Dakota Farm Bureau. "I've heard the argument, but I'm sure it wouldn't take very many acres to saturate the market."" Numbers are what people use to get thing going I think, at leased that what I had to give the bank to get a lone. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on December 09, 2001 at 10:11:29 PT: opposite sides, same point pro: "Hemp seed oil is the direct replacement for diesel fuel," he said. "South Dakota could produce enough hemp seed oil to meet the nation's need for diesel fuel. Everyone's talking about renewable fuels, but they refuse to talk about the best source for renewable fuel." con: "I've heard the argument, but I'm sure it wouldn't take very many acres to saturate the market," he said. "I visited with some Canadian farmers and hemp is a very, very minor crop in Canada. Plus, they (Canadian farmers) had a surplus of hemp, so farmers were trying to figure out how to get rid of their product." First, The surplus of Canadian hemp occurred after the U.S. illegally embargoed tons of seed. They eventually had to release the grain, but neglected to do so until after serious damage to the hemp industry. Second, so what if we have too much oil from hemp seed? Then the price drops, and we can fly more jets and start driving SUV's on long vacations to Florida again... Biodiesel Fuel [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by boppy on December 09, 2001 at 08:34:09 PT Can't tell the difference??? "In a field of corn, several rows might be field corn and several rows might be sweet corn, but I'm not bright enough to tell the difference. I'm sure that's one of the things law enforcement is concerned about - that they won't be able to tell the difference." If this is the case then what qualifications do they have being in this area of law enforcement?? And my tax dollars are paying these idiots?? He needs to be whacked with a sock full of horse manure. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on December 08, 2001 at 19:16:07 PT hemp 30 years ago I worked in South Dakota and Southwestern Minnesota. I came across wild hemp in shelter belts on farms and in marshy areas mixed in with willow stands.One would have to be awfully stupid if you were unable to differentiate wild hemp growths from that which is cultivated for bud. Wild hemp is definitely not the smoking kind. Law enforcement's ignorance is excusable, and it could be rectified through education. However, how can one be educated after they have been brainwashed. It is a tough job. Brainwashing translates into stupidity, and there is certainly no dearth of that when nothing else is expected.I applaud Gladys Baldwin for her efforts. They will be worthwhile, hemp will save the earth before it is too late. It already is, just to spite the government. Way to go hemp, you can do it. Yeah hemp. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment