cannabisnews.com: 115,000 Comments Filed Against New Hemp Food Rule 115,000 Comments Filed Against New Hemp Food Rule Posted by FoM on February 28, 2002 at 09:44:16 PT Press Release Source: U.S. Newswire The Drug Enforcement Administration received over 115,000 public comments from hemp food and body care consumers and manufacturers opposing DEA's attempt to ban hemp seed and oil products which contain infinitesimal trace residual THC (much like poppy seeds on bagels contain trace opiates). The Body Shop collected most of the comments at their 300 stores nationwide, and Vote Hemp generated approximately 5,000 comments through their website since the new DEA Interpretive rule on hemp food was announced October 9, 2001. Numerous members of Congress and state legislatures have also sent comments to the DEA critical of the new rule. "The DEA has no public support for the new hemp food rule," says Eric Steenstra, president of VoteHemp. "After examining the public comments, it is clear that the DEA is out of touch with the general public which is informed about the compelling nutritional and legal arguments in support of healthy hemp food products." The DEA handed a temporary victory to the multimillion-dollar-a-year hemp food industry on February 7, one day after the deadline for disposing of hemp foods expired, in response to an Emergency Motion filed by the hemp industry. DEA told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that they will extend the "grace period" for disposing hemp food products 40 days until March 18, reassuring retailers stocking and selling hemp food products that DEA would not commence enforcement action until the Court rules on the hemp industry's original "Urgent Motion to Stay." Ultimately, the hemp food industry expects to prevail against the DEA's attempt to ban hemp foods because Congress explicitly exempted nutritious hemp seed and oil from the Controlled Substances Act (see 21 U.S.C. 802(16)), and the trace infinitesimal residual THC in hemp seed and oil is not psychoactive and does not interfere with workplace drug-testing. See: http://www.testpledge.comStudents Arrested For Distributing Hemp Foods Expected to Win Case Today In a separate criminal case, students from Syracuse University arrested for "marijuana" possession while handing out healthy hemp seed tortilla chips and nutrition bars in protest of DEA's rule are expected to have their charges thrown out today because a court-ordered lab test of the hemp foods has confirmed that the hemp food products' infinitesimal trace THC content cannot be considered a controlled substance. The students, members of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, participated in the nationwide "DEA Taste Test" on December 4, 2001 in which hemp enthusiasts handed out free hemp food samples outside DEA offices in 76 cities. The three students who were charged are considering a false arrest lawsuit because they repeatedly warned the police officers prior to their arrest that the hemp foods they were giving away are legal nutritious foods sold in natural foods stores throughout the U.S. and have nothing to do with marijuana. Hemp seed has a well-balanced protein content and the highest content of essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any oil in nature: EFAs are the good fats that, like vitamins, the body does not produce and which doctors traditionally have recommended eating fish and flax to obtain. Thus, hemp seed and oil are increasingly incorporated as ingredients in a myriad of natural foods to boost their nutritional profile. U.S. companies are currently manufacturing cereals, waffles, pretzels, chips, salad dressings, breads and granola bars, among other products, that contain hemp seed or oil. The 10-year-old global hemp market is a thriving commercial success. Unfortunately, because DEA's drug-war paranoia has confounded biologically distinct non-psychoactive industrial hemp varieties of cannabis with psychoactive marijuana varieties, the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing and processing of industrial hemp. Visit: http://www.votehemp.com to read scientific studies and see court documents. Note: Court Decision to Stay DEA Rule Expected Before March 18For more information or to arrange interviews with representatives of the hemp industry, call Adam Eidinger at 202-986-6186 or 202-744-2671 (cell). Source: U.S. NewswirePublished: February 28, 2002Copyright 2002, U.S. Newswire Website: http://www.usnewswire.com Related Articles & Web Site:FTE's Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmThis Bud's Not For Youhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11969.shtmlDEA Extends Its Deadline for Banning Hemp http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11963.shtmlHemp Stays in Stores: DEA Hands Over Victory http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11952.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by The GCW on February 28, 2002 at 20:24:34 PT More http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n353/a04.html?397 US NY: Recipe For Controversy: Add Hemp To Food - Post-Standard, The (NY) [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by mayan on February 28, 2002 at 17:05:21 PT Hemp!Hemp! Hooray!!! It bugs me when so-called "capitalists" try to keep industrial hemp from competing on the free-market. If they were really capitalists they wouldn't have a problem with it.It also bugs me that some so-called "conservatives" don't mind the government stymying every possible utilization of the cannabis plant. If they were true conservatives they would tell the government to butt out!The cannabis plant is nature's way of saying "Don't f*ck with me!!!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by DdC on February 28, 2002 at 14:38:40 PT Why is the meat and grain industry so bothered? Many of the lobbies in DC are bothered by hemp food being so nutritional. As many petro chem and cotton and booze companies over the fiber content. 500 Pharmaceutical lobbies alone worried about the medicinal properties. Meat takes 12 pounds of chemical grain for every pound of heart attacking meat. Chemicals not used on organic ditchweed. 270,000 tons of petro chems are used on the yearly cotton crop, not on organic ditchweed. Polyfibers made of crude oil or the original reefer madness producers, the booze industry all afraid of cannabis competition. Not to mention the invention of crimes to cage people for $trillions in profits. Those companies making war toys to secure us from natural fiber and wholesome foods! It ain't hard to see, its just hard to give up if thats how you exist. But its inevitable. We will not sit by and let our kids be poisoned anymore. Sacramental cannabis food, fuel, fiber, FARMaceuticals, petrochem, nuke, cotton, meat, bleached grain, Hardrug&Booze alternative is out of the closet and headed to market!!! Peace, Love and Liberty DdCHemp grain is the most nutritionally complete seed on the planet for human consumption. Each hemp seed contains 25% protein. This protein is more easily digestible than the protein in soybeans because it contains a perfect ratio of essential fatty acids (EFA's). EFA's are important for strengthening your immune system and protecting you from disease. Fish oil and flax oil are also high in EFA's, but hemp contains the most perfect ratio of EFA's for human consumption. Hemp grain is also high in iron and calcium and is an excellent source of dietary fiber.Hemp Food Association http://www.hempfood.com/Hemptech http://www.hemptech.com/ IHA http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/HEMP/IHA/ Industrial hemp Products Directory http://www.globalhemp.com Hemp Industries Association http://thehia.org/ History http://www.jackherer.com Clothes http://www.mendohemp.com http://www.ecolution.com Food http://www.pacifichemp.com http://www.hempery.com Hemp Car http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread8150.shtmlProduction of Heart Disease By Consumption of Meat and Dairy Products http://www.trufax.org/research/f3.htmlMeat Pimps http://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/29/29786.gifThe Dairy Industry Gambit http://www.trufax.org/research/f5.htmlGot Milk Got Prostate Cancer? http://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/29/29749.gifMcSpotlight http://www.mcspotlight.org/Collusion Between the Government and Dairy-Meat Industries http://www.trufax.org/research/f6.htmlMontanto Sucks http://www.monsantosucks.com/Monsantos http://www.monsantos.comFight Frankenfoods http://fightfrankenfood.com/Hemp links http://www.hempseed.com/linkability.htmlHemp Food Industries Association http://www.hemp.co.ukSponsored by http://www.rawfood.com Hemp Foods Australia http://www.hempfoods.com.au [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on February 28, 2002 at 14:33:42 PT Where did they think they could go with this?? I'm just trying to imagine grown adults in touch with the modern world having a serious discussion about banning hemp seed.But every time I try, I just start laughing, and then it's all over.At least we have great comedy in our country.That's the the silver lining in the cloud of stupidity and arrogance that envelops us right now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Elfman_420 on February 28, 2002 at 13:07:22 PT I hear the sounds of the wall breaking, too I attend UC Santa Barbara. On campus they have anti-ecstacy ads that have been up around the school for a long time now. The other day I noticed a new ad. It was an anti-marijuana ad sponsored by the Partnership for a drug free America. It basically stated that if you smoke marijuana your brain turns into something similar to water-logged driftwood. Yesterday when I walked by the ad, somebody had put a big poster over part of the ad that said "400,000 Drug-War P.O.W.'S"Also, last night, our associated student legislative council was supposed to vote on two things. One would decrimanilize marijuana on campus (we have campus police who currently enforce the law). The other bill had to do with not supporting the federal government's financial aid decision reguarding previous drug convictions."Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall!"-Pink Floyd [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 28, 2002 at 10:33:14 PT War Pigs The DEA wants to ban hemp that way they could throw anyone in jail that grows or uses anything that looks like the marijuana plant. It makes it easy for them, they don't have to check the THC levels.Secondly, they want to help the piss in the bucket drug war industry. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on February 28, 2002 at 10:16:38 PT WOW The sound of breaking wall.There is some of those Body Shops in a city, down the road, that I normaly do not frequent...but, I may check it out. It really says something about a store willing to risk... to do this work.When it happens, it will be like a big wave. There is so much positive things happening to end cannabis prohibition. When it is all over, I will know I took part in something righteous, that truely effects my brother and neighbor. End the practice of caging humans for using cannabis, and yes, even hemp chips pushers. We don't cage cats for eating grass...ok? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment