cannabisnews.com: Ninth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule Ninth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule Posted by CN Staff on April 17, 2003 at 15:45:25 PT For Immediate Release Source: U.S. Newswire U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit -- Late yesterday the Court granted the hemp industry's Motion to Stay the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) "Final Rule," which was issued March 21, 2003 and would have banned the sale of nutritious hemp foods containing harmless trace amounts of naturally-occurring THC under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. This "Final Rule" is virtually identical to an "Interpretive Rule" issued on October 9, 2001 that never went into effect because of a Ninth Circuit Court Stay issued on March 7, 2002. Both Motions to Stay were brought jointly by the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and several major hemp food companies in the U.S. and Canada. The court is currently hearing a substantive challenge to the Final Rule, which the hemp industry is optimistic that the Court will ultimately invalidate.Because trace infinitesimal THC in hemp seed is non-psychoactive and insignificant, the U.S. Congress exempted non-viable hemp seed and oil from control under the CSA, just as Congress exempted poppy seeds from the CSA, although they contain trace opiates otherwise subject to control. The hemp industry is assuring retailers and consumers that hemp food products should continue to be stocked, sold and consumed. Joe Sandler, counsel for the HIA, stated: "The Court's order effectively prevents DEA from enforcing its 'Final Rule.' With this stay in effect, all those who sell, import, manufacture, distribute and retail edible hemp oil and seed, and oil and seed products, can continue those activities secure in the knowledge that such products remain perfectly lawful."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 requires for good health. Dr. Udo Erasmus, an internationally recognized nutritional authority on fats and oils, writes in Fats that Heal - Fats that Kill: "Hemp seed oil may be nature's most perfectly balanced oil." Not surprisingly, shelled hemp seed and oil are increasingly used in natural food products, such as corn chips, nutrition bars, hummus, nondairy milks, breads and cereals. In the last few years, the hemp foods industry has grown from less than $1 million a year to over $5 million in retail sales.North American hemp food companies voluntarily observe reasonable THC limits similar to those adopted by European nations as well as Canada and Australia. These limits protect consumers with a wide margin of safety from any psychoactive effects or workplace drug-testing interference See hemp industry standards regarding trace THC at: http://www.testpledge.com The DEA has hypocritically not targeted food manufacturers for using poppy seeds (in bagels and muffins, for example) even though they contain far higher levels of trace opiates. The recently-revived global hemp market, with retail sales of over $250 million worldwide, is a thriving commercial success. Unfortunately, because the DEA's Drug War paranoia has confused non-psychoactive industrial hemp varieties of cannabis with psychoactive "marihuana" varieties, the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing of industrial hemp. Please visit: http://www.votehemp.com -- to read scientific studies of hemp foods and see court documents. For more information or to arrange interviews with representatives of the hemp industry, please call Adam Eidinger at 202-986-6186 or 202-744-2671 (cell).Source: U.S. NewswirePublished: April 17, 2003Copyright 2003 U.S. Newswire Website: http://www.usnewswire.com/ Contact: http://www.usnewswire.com/contactusn.htmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmFoods Containing Hemp Face DEA Ban http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15823.shtmlDEA Final Rule on Hemp Foods Challenged http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15809.shtmlGet Your Fill of Hemp While It's Still Legalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11547.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by The GCW on April 17, 2003 at 19:31:01 PT Afterburner and all green collar workers... Along with Omega 3 & 6, consider gamma linolenic acid also.There is a lot to be said for GLA, and unlike Omega 3 & 6, GLA is only found in HEMP SEED OIL, MOTHERS MILK, borage, red primrose oil, and black current seed oil.AND SO, It would ALSO be a crime to ban this rare nutritious source of gamma linolenic acid.Just so We all know, a serving of hemp seed oil only supplies about 3% of Your daily requirements. Ancestry [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mayan on April 17, 2003 at 17:31:34 PT YIPEEEE!!! Hemp lives another day!!! Down with the petrocrats! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by i420 on April 17, 2003 at 17:05:41 PT JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED. Yes! Thank you !!! I have been meanin to buy some hemp pretzels an take them to work...my boss loves pretzels so much he is always grabbin a handful off of our forklift driver who has a bag of pretzels everyday at work. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by afterburner on April 17, 2003 at 16:57:38 PT: Finally a US Court with Guts and Brains. The DEA thought they could slip one over on the US public, but the Ninth Circuit Court called them on it again. It would be a crime to ban this nutritious source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 17, 2003 at 15:51:43 PT News Brief from The Associated Press Potfest Up In SmokeBy Associated Press6:17 pm EDT April 17, 2003 The University of Vermont's annual mass marijuana smoking festival, known as four-20, is expected to be low-key at best this year because it falls on a holiday.The marijuana smoke-fest is named for April 20th. This year, that date falls on Easter Sunday. Many U-V-M students will be off campus for Easter and for Passover, which began at sundown yesterday. The four-20 event is held on several campuses across the country as a protest against marijuana laws. Previous celebrations at U-V-M have attracted more than 1,000 pot smokers. U-V-M staff and students met earlier this year to discuss whether to schedule a concert to deter the smoke-in, but they decided against it. However, police say their attention this year will be similar to that in former years -- even if the campus is less populated. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 17, 2003 at 15:46:17 PT Good News I really like good news! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment