cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Could Be Farmers' New Crop
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Marijuana Could Be Farmers' New Crop
Posted by CN Staff on February 22, 2010 at 05:37:58 PT
By Joseph P. Smith
Source: Daily Journal
Vineland -- New Jersey farmers, including some in this area, see a chance to add an important new crop now that the state has legalized medical marijuana. "We would all like to grow it because we think it would be a good cash crop -- literally," Fairfield nurseryman Roger Ruske said.The New Jersey Farm Bureau, a trade group for agriculture, has looked into the issue in depth and found good news and problems with the idea. New Jersey last month adopted a law allowing medical use of marijuana.
Farm Bureau research associate Ed Wengryn said the legislation isn't written clearly enough for the state Department of Health and Senior Services to write regulations. "But I will say there are growers interested in it -- but they're interested in the concept," Wengryn said."(Whether) the economics work in the long run is really going to be the driving factor, because the price isn't going to be set by market conditions," he said. "There is no market. You can compare it to street value, but you can only go so much above street value for people."There is something else farmers need to consider. They may face stiff competition from another major industry in the state.Wengryn said the pharmaceutical industry is in a good position to bogart the marijuana business if it chooses to try.Drug firms aren't well known for having green thumbs, but they actually have research farms that could be converted. They also have the experienced staff and the money to negotiate their ways through government bureaucracies."They would be competing with farmers," Wengryn said. "I think they would be in a better position to go through the hoops."Whoever gets the business, the first harvest isn't likely for a few years, if only because of the need to research and write regulations.Alfred W. Murray, assistant agriculture secretary and director of the state Division of Marketing and Development, fielded a question about medical marijuana at a Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce event here last week.Murray was part of a four-member panel talking about agriculture and land conservation issues to a luncheon audience Thursday.Toward the end of a question-and-answer session, a Chamber member said some members wondered how the law would be implemented.Murray joked of a sudden interest among college students to intern at his department.The director said the law charges the state health department with most of the administrative work."Our role will be to regulate the plants," Murray said, adding to laughter, "I don't know how we're going to test it."Donna Leusner, a department spokeswoman, said research into how to run the program is in very preliminary stages.That includes whether the marijuana could be imported."No decisions have been made," Leusner stated. "No regulations have been written. The department is researching how similar programs operate in other states."According to Murray, there will be no field growing of marijuana. Everything would be done in secured greenhouses, he said.Plus, Wengryn said, no one knows how much legal pot will be needed."The medical community is really split on this," he said. "If you have a chronic disease, this is going to be a way to alleviate. But for people who have a treatable condition, are doctors going to prescribe this? I don't think so."On a related issue, the Farm Bureau has a higher priority for another crop with a popular pharmaceutical property."The one we would like to see permitted is industrial hemp," Wengryn said. "The industrial hemp is a good industrial product."The government's problem with hemp is that it can be used as a drug. The industrial variety is relatively weak as a drug source, though."It's a very green and renewable source of strong fiber," Wengryn said. "That is something we do have a policy on. We would like that looked into."Source: Daily Journal, The (NJ)Author: Joseph P. SmithPublished: February 22, 2010Copyright: 2010 Daily JournalContact: djopinion thedailyjournal.comWebsite: http://www.thedailyjournal.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/uHPh2BdICannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by The GCW on February 25, 2010 at 06:31:16 PT
US NJ: PUB LTE:
US NJ: PUB LTE: I should be able to buy marijuana from U.S. farmersWebpage: http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20100225/OPINION03/2250337/1017/I-should-be-able-to-buy-marijuana-from-U.S.-farmersPubdate: 25 Feb 2010
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Comment #15 posted by compassionate on February 24, 2010 at 17:33:40 PT
The GCW
Great point, The GCWNPR featured an interview with NewMexiCann.org a while back. I get emails reporting their progress, and they're doing good work. Here's the link:http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_906_Len_Goodman.mp3/view
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Comment #14 posted by The GCW on February 23, 2010 at 21:02:20 PT
And it's not just this poll...
The cannabis prohibitionist's loser agenda is crumbling at a pace that is gaining on them everywhere they look. The vulgar is exposed. Banning hemp, causing thousands to be murdered in Mexico and around the globe, caging hundreds of thousands of Our own citizens, etc. etc. = VULGAR.-0-And speaking of ANTI-American:VA docs forbidden to recommend medical marijuanaVA warns physicians of civil, criminal penalties and revocation of licenseThe largest group of patients enrolled in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program are those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to the most recent New Mexico Department of Health data. But Albuquerque’s Veteran’s Administration hospital–which many veterans rely on as their only source of health care–doesn’t allow its physicians to recommend the use of marijuana to patients.Of 1,249 patients enrolled in the state medical marijuana program as of mid February, 291 have a diagnosis of PTSD. The next two largest groups are cancer patients, at 198, and HIV/AIDS patients, at 130. Cont.http://newmexicoindependent.com/48229/va-docs-forbidden-to-recommend-medical-marijuanaVulgar
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Comment #13 posted by The GCW on February 23, 2010 at 20:48:08 PT
Hemp Prohibition Anti-American
I’ve been purchasing hemp seeds and oil for many years which is imported from Canada, a nice enough county but I’d rather purchase hemp products grown by American farmers. It’s anti-American that communist Chinese farmers may grow hemp but free American farmers may not. It’s time to re-introduce hemp as a component of American agriculture.
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Comment #12 posted by Universer on February 23, 2010 at 18:56:29 PT
Poll in #5
After about 31 hours of voting:Do you agree with President Vicente Fox's statement that legalizing drugs would reduce drug-related violence?Yes: 36 (97.3%)IDK: 1 (2.7%)No: 0 (0%)http://pacbiztimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1428&Itemid=1
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Comment #11 posted by HempWorld on February 23, 2010 at 17:08:52 PT
Has anybody read this?!
THE CHEMIST'S WAR The Little-Told Story of How the U.S. Government Poisoned Alcohol During Prohibition With Deadly Consequences.Read link below:I think I am just now starting to understand it all!
THE CHEMIST'S WAR
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on February 23, 2010 at 11:49:05 PT
Ooooh. Had Enough
I saw that guy's rant already. Pete posted it over at DrugWarRant.What a nut! That's serious child abuse he's talking about and saying people should do. It's obvious he's a blooming idiot of some sort. Sadly, there are other people like him. It's just sickening.
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Comment #9 posted by runruff on February 23, 2010 at 11:08:28 PT
Angry man...
...what do you have against "Planters"? Next he will want to stomp on our Fredos and chips!Hide your Pepperidge Farmes!
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Comment #8 posted by Had Enough on February 23, 2010 at 10:46:43 PT
You Gotta See This One....
Angry Man Says Potheads Should be Kicked in the NutsPosted in Chronicle Blog by Scott Morgan on Mon, 02/15/2010 - 8:00pm Via DrugWarRant, here's a video that I'm sure all of you will find entertaining. I didn't think it was possible to hate marijuana more than Michael Savage does, but of course it is:http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2010/feb/15/angry_man_says_potheads_should_b
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Comment #7 posted by ripit on February 23, 2010 at 09:25:21 PT
up to 22
on the poll now
22-y
0-no
0-idk
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Comment #6 posted by Had Enough on February 22, 2010 at 23:22:36 PT
Poll in #5
Do you agree with Vicente Fox's statement that legalizing drugs would reduce drug-related violence?Yes................8- 100%I dont know...0- 0%No.................0- 0%
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on February 22, 2010 at 22:32:02 PT
POLL
Do you agree with Vicente Fox's statement that legalizing drugs would reduce drug-related violence? Yes. No. I don't know. http://pacbiztimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1428&Itemid=1
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Comment #4 posted by josephlacerenza on February 22, 2010 at 20:42:25 PT
The Green Economy
We have said it here a lot, the Green Economy is coming! I see this as an other test to the DEA, no different then the soon be farmer in Ennis, MT. Hemp is the neglected child of trhe cannabis movement. Yet, it is a vital cog in the Green Economy.
Greene Acres Caregiver
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Comment #3 posted by tintala on February 22, 2010 at 16:45:19 PT:
This is like putting the cart before the horse
AS HEMP isn't even legal anywhere to grow! In 14 states thousands of ppl growing mmj, but not one state is allowed to grow hemp according to the DEA. Those that have tried have been shut down by the DEA. ND has legalized hemp, yet it remains federally illegal as does marijuana.. what a bunch of crap, if I could grow HEMP on my farm , I wouldn't ever complain again. Try growing hemp outdoors, DEA will stop it.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 22, 2010 at 14:48:46 PT
Medical Marijuana May Help Fibromyalgia Pain
By Anne Harding, CNNFebruary 22, 2010 Lynda, a 48-year-old mother of three who lives in upstate New York, got a diagnosis of fibromyalgia in 2000. While there are prescription medications for fibromyalgia, she's found one unconventional drug -- marijuana -- that really does the trick."I would use [marijuana] when the burning pains started down my spine or my right arm, and shortly after, I found I could continue with housework and actually get more done," says Lynda.URL: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/22/medical.marijuana/
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on February 22, 2010 at 07:52:41 PT
"The government's problem with hemp is that it can
be used as a drug."Huh? This is entirely new to me! Hemp is and was historically never used as a drug but it was outlawed because it would give law enforcement 'problems' when enforcing the ban on marijuana because of the similarity of the plants.
HempFarm.com
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