cannabisnews.com: Bill Would Start State Study of Hemp Bill Would Start State Study of Hemp Posted by CN Staff on August 23, 2002 at 10:30:10 PT By Paul Payne, Staff Writer Source: Press Democrat There is no doubt in John Roulac's mind that industrial hemp cultivation would be a money-maker. He has the canceled checks to prove it. Each year, the Sebastopol health food distributor spends hundreds of thousands of dollars importing hemp seed nutritional bars and skin oils from Canada. The U.S. government prohibits the harvesting of hemp because it contains trace amounts of the active ingredient in marijuana, forcing Roulac and others to spend money overseas. ``We would love to write those checks to California farmers instead,'' said Roulac, founder and president of Nutiva. ``The ban is ludicrous.''A bill awaiting Gov. Gray Davis' signature would put a dollar sign on the problem.It would authorize the University of California to study the profitability of growing hemp and other fibrous crops if the government lifts its ban.The bill's author, Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin, D-Duncans Mills, said California is missing out on a potential gold mine.Fibers from hemp are used in making such items as car parts and clothing. The seed is rich in vitamin E and is used in numerous health foods.Supporters say hemp's use is on the rise.In 1999, worldwide sales of hemp-based products was $250 million. Americans purchased about 60 percent of that amount, she said.If hemp were grown in California, farmers would reap a considerable amount of that business, Strom-Martin said.Industrial hemp contains only minuscule amounts of tetrahydocannabinol, or THC, and should not be labeled a drug, she said.``This is a new opportunity to revitalize our agricultural industry by studying developing markets for industrial hemp,'' said Strom-Martin.Strom-Martin said she received partisan resistance to the bill, but no organized opposition.Davis spokesman Russ Lopez said the governor has not taken a position on the bill.If Assembly Bill 388 is signed, California will join a growing number of states looking into the economic benefits of growing hemp.In recent years, Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota have passed legislation legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp.The UC study would be due to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2004.Strom-Martin's bill was lauded by Sonoma County hemp products retailers, who said cultivation would help reduce the prices of items ranging from hemp twine to lingerie.Jan Pinney, co-owner of Hemp & Chocolat, a Guerneville boutique, said the popularity of hemp is soaring.``It's becoming mainstream,'' Pinney said. ``People come into my store and say, `Oh, my two loves.'''Candi Penn of the Occidental-based Hemp Industries Association said 33 counties grow hemp for use in paper, alternative fuels and building materials.Hemp seeds shipped from Canada contain less than 10 parts per million of THC, an amount that could not produce the ``high'' of marijuana.She has lobbied to remove the oversight of hemp from the Drug Enforcement Agency to the Department of Agriculture.``The DEA doesn't distinguish between marijuana and hemp,'' Penn said. ``They are the same species but contain very different levels of THC.''That difference didn't stop the DEA from attempting to seize hemp-seed nutritional bars from Roulac's company in a 1999 crackdown.The agency said trace amounts of THC violated American zero-tolerance policies and U.S. Customs officials ordered a major Canadian importer to recall dozens of shipments.But Roulac refused to hand over his stock and sued the DEA in federal court. He was granted a stay until the court rules on DEA policies about hemp, sometime in the next six months.He said a study of hemp markets will find a great need for the plant among carmakers and the building industry. Industrial hemp fills car interiors and can be made into a wood substitute to build houses.Also, he said hemp food sales have risen 50 percent a year.``With the current economic climate, there's no reason California would turn its back on a multimillion dollar market,'' Roulac said. ``The potential is excellent.''News Researchers Vonnie Matthews and Teresa Meikle contributed to this report. Complete Title: Bill Would Start State Study of Hemp's Profitability Source: Press Democrat, The (CA) Author: Paul Payne, Staff WriterPublished: August 22, 2002 - Page B1Copyright: 2002 The Press Democrat Contact: letters pressdemo.com Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/ Read the Bill, AB388 at: http://www.assembly.ca.gov Related Article & Web Site:Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmAssembly Sends Governor Hemp Study Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13763.shtmlCannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #16 posted by The GCW on August 24, 2002 at 19:02:57 PT Allowing people access to cannabis /hemp Is allowing them the Truth.That is the fulcrum, the prohibitionists fear.Cannabis exposes Bush as a puppet in the evil empire, that relies on people unable to garner the Truth.Cannabis exposes Truth. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by mayan on August 23, 2002 at 18:15:18 PT Protest Video... RealVideo of Portland Protest: http://www.sf.indymedia.org/uploads/bushpdx.ramThe Complete 9/11 Timeline: http://cooperativeresearch.org/completetimeline/Few Sept. 11 Families Apply for Aid(maybe they want answers,not money): http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-victims-fund0823aug23.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnation%2DheadlinesElite Guard unit told to get ready: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/4055108p-5080499c.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by mayan on August 23, 2002 at 16:41:49 PT SHADOW OF THE SWASTIKA Sorry to double post, but for those who didn't catch this...SHADOW OF THE SWASTIKA: The Real Reason the Government Won't Debate Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Re-legalization - http://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.htmlOh yeah, on CNN they showed some of the Oregon protest & the camera zoomed in on a bus which had "BUSH KNEW" written on the window in shaving cream! I couldn't believe they showed that!!!Thanks for the poll GCW! [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Dan B on August 23, 2002 at 16:17:29 PT Oops! Just saw this Looks like FoM was way ahead of me on this one:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread13851.shtmlDan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Dan B on August 23, 2002 at 16:11:00 PT: Here's Another, with a picture You know we live in a police state when the cops wear full body armour to go to a peaceful protest, as seen in the picture near the top of this link:http://wtop.com/news/newsdetail.cfm?NewsId=613105Do the police really wonder why they are no longer respected by average citizens? Could it be because they brutalize citizens while hiding behind their bullet-proof gear and face shields, firing plastic bullets and bean bag shotguns, spraying pepper spray? Could it be because they are more concerned with protecting politicians from us than protecting us from politicians?Geez.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Dan B on August 23, 2002 at 15:40:40 PT Here's the Article on the Bush Protests I found this at Common Dreams:http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0823-01.htmThought you might want to read it.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Nuevo Mexican on August 23, 2002 at 15:33:45 PT I saw the criminal trying to speak.... but with so many marbles in his brain, how could he not have marbles in the mouth? Thanks for the heads up FOM! smirk: Save the Forests! Cut them down! When will the critical mass be enough to throw these bums out of office! When Americans realize the medications they are on have numbed their brains AND souls, to the point where they have no idea what is going on around them. Wake up, get off the meds, face your problems that you don't want to deal with, like a criminal government running your lives, and whallah, you won't need your damn 'meds'! Eat right, stop watching the tube, and proclaim to the world that you smoke pot and you like it alot! When we come out of the closet, prohibition will end! signed, Pissedoffwheniseesmirksmirking! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on August 23, 2002 at 13:29:38 PT Budget shortfall in CA California better get on the stick with regard to hemp cultivation. They are going to have a huge budget shortfall and can use all of the extra revenue they can get. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by p4me on August 23, 2002 at 13:10:56 PT How do you adjective the hemp laws? Unconstitutional, stupid, insane, absurd, ludicrous,...Hemp seeds shipped from Canada contain less than 10 parts per million of THC, an amount that could not produce the ``high'' of marijuana.And DEAth acts like they are protecting us from hempfood. What a crock. I watched the movie on Jack Herer at RCCH yesterday. Here is that link: http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/docs_emperor.html That is one man that has heard a hundred lifetimes of government bullshit on the subject of hemp.It all came to Jack in a type of revelation. The revelations was that the only plant that could save the planet would be hemp. His book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes was an underground sensation that had sold 600,000 copies when the RCCH video, "The Emperor of Hemp" was made.Some things really take repetition and reenforcement to take hold. Half the forest that were standing at the time of the MJ Tax Act in 1937 are gone. This need not have happened and it is senseless to continue on the the same path that contributed to this needless destruction.Like always, articles like this just raise more questions. You hear how the paper industry pollutes with the chemicals it uses to make paper from pulp and it is not necessary with hemp. So, why do we not have hemp paper at Staples and Wal-Mart? Another video at RCCH with Jack Herer talked about how early Americans recycled hemp clothes, rope, and sails. They just chopped it up and made paper. Then there is the fact that half the pesticide in the world is used on cotton. Nothing adds up. The equation is all wrong and needs to change.Another thing presented on the 1994 video with Jack Herer was that hemp was soft. Now how would I know with the government doing their best to protect us all from a hemp invasion. It is just strange that the only television program I saw to integrate the subject into the show made fun of how stiff it is. I think it was in "The Emperor of Hemp" were they quoted McGaffry saying something like people do not want hemp clothing because it will not hold a crease. Maybe that is the way Drug Bizarres protect the muttonland.The whole situation stinks of rotten cotton of course. The big thing like how the DEA controls the schedules of controlled substances and passes its own legislation and is the enforcer of their rulings is just a complete breakdown in checks and balances with the media still embarrassing itself in not calling BULLSHIT. And why would this courtcase take so long to settle? Questions, questions, and still more questions with no one elected to public service even opening their mouth to speak anything resembling an honest answer.I really do wish there were a quality book on cooking with hemp and studies done to collect information on the benefits of a hemp diet. There is a future Jack Herer out there and that book and those studies will be coming.14% of the American economy is spent on healthcare and about the best way to keep those cost down is to eat right and exercise. The hemp food subject will find an author to voice the truth of a hemp diet.1,2 [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on August 23, 2002 at 13:08:49 PT The GCW Yes I saw that too. They were protesting the cutting of the woods that he wants. He sure isn't liked much on the west coast and they have clout out there! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on August 23, 2002 at 13:02:04 PT FoM I thought I heard that in Oregon last night Bush was protested quite heavily and there were some rubber bullet shooting police... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by PonziScheme on August 23, 2002 at 11:33:03 PT ANOTHER STUDY? State Sponsored Hemp Studies* Hawaii * Illinois * Kentucky (1998) * Kentucky (1995) * Missouri * North Dakota * Oregon * VermontIntroduction Numerous state governments have commissioned studies examining hemp's feasibility as an agricultural product. Virtually all of these have praised hemp's economic potential and concluded that the crop's viability is challenged not by agronomic factors, but rather by legal ones. The summary conclusions of these studies appear chronologically below. Hawaii "There is no guarantee for a future of hemp in the U.S. or in Hawaii, but given hemp's versatility there is a fair chance of success. Legislators, seeking to minimize the political risk associated with the hemp issue, are looking for commitments by large and respectable companies interested in investing in the new industry. That, however, may be putting the cart before the horse. What is needed first is a better understanding of the issues involved and small scale experimental cultivation to generate some of the data that businesses would like to have in hand before committing themselves." - G. Roth-Li. 1996. Industrial Hemp - Economic and Political Concerns (White Paper prepared for Representative Cynthia Thielen). State Capitol: Honolulu.Illinois "Based upon the review of literature and testimony presented before the task force, the members find that there is potential for industrial hemp to be an important alternative crop in Illinois. [Therefore,] the task force believes that the General Assembly should enact immediately upon the following recommendations: Encourage Congress to make the necessary changes in the United States Codes: 21 U.S.C. 812 (10), 21 U.S.C. 841, and 21 U.S.C. 844 that relate to cannabis sativa L. (industrial hemp) for production, possession and delivery [and] recommend the Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Office of Drug Control Policy to adopt a new definition of industrial hemp that would allow a 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level in industrial hemp and to make it legal to produce, possess, and deliver industrial hemp in the United States and internationally." - Illinois Industrial Hemp Investigative and Advisory Task Force. 2000. Report of the Illinois Industrial Hemp Investigative and Advisory Task Force. State Capitol: Springfield.Kentucky "Using current yields, prices, and production technology from other areas that have grown hemp, Kentucky farmers could earn a profit of approximately $320 per acre of hemp planted for straw production only or straw and grain production, $220 for grain production only and $600 for raising certified seed for planting for other industrial hemp growers. In the long run, it is estimated that Kentucky farmers could earn roughly $320 per acre when growing industrial hemp for straw alone or straw and grain, and $340 an acre from growing certified hemp seed." - E. Thompson et al. 1998. Economic Impact of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky. Center for Business and Economic Research at University of Kentucky: Lexington.Kentucky "Legal prohibition of Cannabis cultivation is the overriding obstacle to reintroduction of hemp fiber in Kentucky. Significant progress on agronomics, marketing, or infrastructure development is unlikely, and of relatively little importance, unless legal issues are resolved. Legislative reaction would be required at both the state and federal level. Such consideration would likely receive strong diverse reactions from both private and public sectors." - 1995. Report to the Governor's Hemp and Related Fiber Crops Task Force as cited by the USDA in Industrial Hemp in the United States 2000: Status and Market Potential. U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.Missouri "Large crops are grown and marketed in Europe. With current interest in natural fiber clothing, hemp's advantages of strength and absorbency suggest it could establish a viable place in American textile markets. Human and animal food uses are another traditional market for exploration. Missouri farmers could gain an early advantage in such markets." - R. Miller. 1991. Hemp as a Crop for Missouri Farmers: Report to the Agricultural Task Force. Missouri House of Representatives. State Capitol: Jefferson City. North Dakota "[P]roduction and processing of industrial hemp has the potential to be a viable industry in the United States and possibly North Dakota. Advantages from an agronomic standpoint seem to be that it requires few pesticides or herbicides, is relatively disease free, and is a good rotation crop because it may enhance yields in crops that follow it. It is recommended that the North Dakota Legislature consider legislation that would allow controlled experimental production and processing." - D. Kraezel et al. 1998. Industrial Hemp as an Industrial crop in North Dakota: A White Paper Study of the Markets, Profitability, Processing, Agronomics and History. The Institute for Natural Resources and Economic Development at North Dakota State University: Fargo. Oregon "There is little doubt that hemp can be successfully cultivated in some areas of the Pacific Northwest. Application of agricultural technology such as intensive plant breeding and improvement in harvesting technology could increase hemp yield and enhance production efficiency. Development of these improvements will take time and resources. Until legislative restrictions are removed from hemp, it is unlikely that investments in improved production technology will be made or that the required industrial infrastructure will be developed." - D. Ehrensing. 1998. Station Bulletin 681: Feasibility of Industrial Hemp Production in the United States Pacific Northwest. Agricultural Experiment Station at Oregon State University: Corvallis.Vermont "This study examines public attitudes toward industrial hemp based on information gathered through a random survey in Vermont. Major findings about public attitudes from the study include: (1) 87% have heard about hemp and 50% know the difference between hemp and marijuana; (2) 59% believe hemp and marijuana should be controlled by different laws, and 63% do not think legalizing hemp would lead to marijuana legalization; (3) 72% indicate that legalizing hemp would not negatively affect drug education efforts; and (4) 77% support changing the laws so that farmers can grow hemp in Vermont. Analysis of willingness to buy hemp based products reveals: (1) if hemp jeans were price competitive with cotton jeans 53% would substitute all current purchases and an additional 12% would substitute between 1% and 99% of their purchases; (2) 36% would pay more for hemp jeans; (3) 39% would buy hemp based computer paper if price competitive; and (4) 66% would pay up to 10% more for hemp based writing paper. - C. Halbrendt et al. 1996. Alternative Agricultural Strategies in Vermont: The Case of Industrial Hemp. University of Vermont: Burlington. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3396 [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by PonziScheme on August 23, 2002 at 11:29:24 PT Hasn't CA already been down this road once before? State Hemp Laws Arkansas | California | Hawaii | Illinois | Kentucky | Maryland | Minnesota | Montana | North Dakota | Vermont | Virginia | West Virginia California Laws and Resolutions Authorizing Hemp Research Year Passed: 1999 Summary: The California Assembly approved House Resolution 32 resolving the Legislature "consider action to revise the legal status of industrial hemp to allow for its growth in California." This legislation also advises the Legislature "consider directing the University of California, the California State University, and other state agencies to prepare studies in conjunction with private industry on the cultivation, processing and marketing of industrial hemp." No state study appears to have been completed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 23, 2002 at 10:51:24 PT Off Topic Bush is talking in Stockton, California and protesters were making noise and then the audience got loud. That's all I know and he can't talk at all. He stumbles over words like no one I ever heard in a leadership position. Unbelievable! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by canaman on August 23, 2002 at 10:44:58 PT Another study????? Why don't they just call the farmers in Cananda and ask if they made a profit last year? I'd even pay for the call. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on August 23, 2002 at 10:44:30 PT poll Do you favor the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Tecumseh School Board policy of drug testing students who are involved in extracurricular activities? yes, I favor the decision no, I do NOT favor the decisionhttp://www.news-star.com/aboutUs/Current Standings: yes, I favor the decision (49%) = 904 no, I do NOT favor the decision (51%) = 943 TOTAL 1847 Results of this poll are not to be considered scientific. Results do not necessarily reflect the opinions of voters at large. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment