cannabisnews.com: 'Taste Tests' To Offer Hemp Foods 





'Taste Tests' To Offer Hemp Foods 
Posted by CN Staff on April 21, 2003 at 21:49:45 PT
By Chris Loos, Tribune-Herald
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald 
A Puna man is organizing "DEA Taste Tests" in Hilo today to give out samples of foods and beverages containing hemp. The noon picnic near the Hilo police station will coincide with similar events across the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a new rule last month that was to have gone into effect today. "It prohibits the human consumption of any non FDA - approved product that contains any amount of THC," said Special Agent Chris Tolley from the DEA office in Honolulu.
THC is the primary psychoactive chemical found in plants in the cannabis family, which includes both marijuana and hemp. Although hemp plants contain only trace elements of the chemical, the DEA has interpreted the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 to mean that anything for human consumption that contains "any amount" of THC is itself a controlled substance.On Wednesday the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay, setting aside the rule until the court has a chance to review a petition by hemp advocates seeking to overturn it permanently.Although the law forbids growing hemp in the United States, it can be legally imported from Canada and other countries. The new rule still would allow the substance in cosmetics and clothing but would prohibit its consumption.Howard Dinits of Pahoa, the organizer of Monday's event, said he has been working to market a product combining Big Island coffee with hemp seeds. Dinits said the therapeutic effects of the hemp allow people with ulcers to drink his coffee. If the new DEA rules go into effect, "It'll never make it to the market," Dinits said. "The only thing that's keeping us from launching our product is we want to sell it legally." Dinits said the quantity of THC in industrial hemp is so small that it can't cause psychoactive effects."If you ate 50 pounds of hemp seeds you would not get high," he said. "You'd get sick to your stomach if you ate 50 pounds of anything but you would not get high."Jeremy Bein, a chocolate farmer in Kapoho, also plans to participate in the giveaway. "We are rejoicing. We are celebrating the stay," Bein said.The 30 - year - old former chef produces hemp milk, hemp cookies and hemp brownies and is in the process of obtaining food permits to sell them under the name Na ali'i Chocolate & Hemp and Co., he said. Eventually, he wants to open a cocoa pub and bakery in Hilo.Owners of health food stores in East Hawaii said they all sell some hemp products.Malu Shizue, owner of Abundant Life in downtown Hilo, said hemp was a bigger fad a year or two ago than it is now. Her store carries products like hemp seeds, nutritional hemp oil and lip balm and lipstick. "It's not a big impact for my business," she said. "We sell more flax oil than hemp oil."William Heideman manages Island Naturals in Hilo. He said he sells hemp oil, hemp granola and health and beauty aids containing hemp oil. "It's pretty popular," he said. Heideman said that although a ban on hemp products wouldn't make a dent in his business, "It would be a shame to see it go." Wes Fujii, owner of Keaau Natural Foods, sells shelled hemp seeds, hemp oil and cosmetic products containing hemp. He said a hemp ban wouldn't cause "that great of an impact" on business. "It doesn't account for a very large percentage of our sales," he said.Steve Sugar, manager of Pahoa Natural Groceries, said his store stocks supplies of hemp seed meal and hemp oil and energy bars containing hemp seeds. He said his store will probably lose about $200 a month in gross sales if the ban goes forward."We probably sell more than a lot of stores," Sugar said. "People swear by it."Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald (HI)Author: Chris Loos, Tribune-HeraldPublished: Monday, April 21, 2003Copyright: 2003 Hawaii Tribune HeraldContact: htrib hawaiitribune-herald.comWebsite: http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmNinth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15993.shtmlGet Your Fill of Hemp While It's Still Legalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11547.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by RevHappy on April 22, 2003 at 23:35:34 PT:
Back On Topic
http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news-5/1051023002212210.xml Hemp backers celebrate 
Tuesday, April 22, 2003 
ANDY GRIMM 
THE SAGINAW NEWS Heres News Coverage of the Saginaw Event--^
Michigan DEA Taste Test(Detroit-Saginaw)
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Comment #4 posted by RevHappy on April 22, 2003 at 21:05:17 PT:
HB197:Stalled In Judiciary One Month
Im trying to keep word out, but how many times a month can I write my reps? Heres my topic on the subject, sorry you gotta join to see it: http://forums.delphiforums.com/mmm420/messages?msg=279.1subscribe to the post and it will mail you whenever something is posted on the topic.
Michigan Marijuana Marches May 3rd Flint Lansing Detroit TC And BC
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 22, 2003 at 07:38:27 PT
News Article from Snipped Source
Hemp Believers Offer Taste at Rally John F. Hagan, Plain Dealer ReporterPublished: April 22, 2003Hemp food products won't make you want to kiss the sky or give you a heightened appreciation of the colors in a lava lamp. But for true-believers, hemp is good for you. And you won't even get a buzz eating products made from hemp. Three people were giving away hemp food products at East Third Street and Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland yesterday, trying to bring attention to new Drug Enforcement Administration hemp guidelines that they say would have made hemp foods illegal. A federal appeals court in California on April 16 stopped the DEA from enforcing the regulations that prohibited foods that contain even trace levels of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana. A bummer, indeed, for those who sing the praises of hemp seed, which is rich in amino acids. Protests against the regulations were undertaken across the country yesterday. The Ohio Cannabis Society and the North Ohio Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws led the protest here at the DEA's office at 310 Lakeside Ave. There are no psychoactive substances that could intoxicate anybody in the foods made from hemp, said John Hartman, director of the Ohio Cannabis Society. Snipped:Complete Article: 
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1051004163146233.xml
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on April 22, 2003 at 07:24:27 PT
Happy what about the HB 197
Do you have any info on this Bill.
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Comment #1 posted by RevHappy on April 22, 2003 at 01:36:03 PT:
Saginaw Taste Test
50 people showed up to the Saginaw protest, including TV 12, The Saginaw News, and radio 760am. I saw the story on abc12 at 6pm, and it was positive press. I saw neither hide nor hair of the DEA, they just hid on the fourth floor again, the same with TV5, who's offices were right across the street. Although abc12 hasn't posted on the food ban, i did find this: HEMP BREAD 
(Minneapolis-AP) -- It's enough to give you a pot belly -- bread made with hemp seeds. ``Healthy Hemp Sprouted Bread'' is a big seller at Lynn Gordon's French Meadow Bakery in Minneapolis. But Gordon may have to stop selling her hemp bread. Hemp is allowed for some industrial uses in the U-S. But the Drug Enforcement Agency wants to ban food products that contain even trace amounts of T-H-C, the stuff in pot that causes a high. A federal appeals court has temporarily stayed the order. Gordon hopes she'll be allowed to continue baking her hemp bread. She says it's addicting -- but only because it tastes so good.^http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/030102_NW_bizarre_news.html
Michigan Marijuana Marches May 3rd Flint Lansing Detroit TC And BC
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