Hemp Farming Legislation Gaining Momentum

Hemp Farming Legislation Gaining Momentum; Four States Likely to Pass Bills This Year-Federal Legislation Coming This Spring

3/7/2005 10:55:00 AM

To: National Desk, Legal Reporter

Contact: Adam Eidinger, 202-744-2671, for Vote Hemp; Web: http://www.VoteHemp.com

WASHINGTON, March 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Vote Hemp, a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of industrial hemp, believes that four state legislatures are likely to pass legislation this year that would allow farmers and researchers to grow industrial hemp. In California, New Hampshire, Oregon and North Dakota business leaders, farmers and legislators are backing legislation that would bring back hemp farming almost 50 years after the crop was taken away from farmers who grew the versatile plant for centuries.

"Hemp farming has become a lucrative crop for farmers in Europe, Canada and Asia, so farmers here are asking 'Why are we being left out?'" says Alexis Baden-Mayer, director of Government Relations for Vote Hemp. "The states considering hemp legislation this year are serious about the issue despite the federal government's de-facto ban on hemp cultivation that stems from marijuana prohibition. Regardless of the federal ban, state legislators are listening to farmers and business people who think the federal restrictions are not based on scientific arguments and actually hurt U.S. economic interests since it is legal to import, process, sell and consume hemp seed and hemp fiber products."

For thousands of years different varieties of Cannabis have been cultivated for non-drug uses such as paper, canvas, soap, food, building materials and recently high-tech bio-composites used in automobiles. Hemp and marijuana come from different varieties of the Cannabis plant. "Because there are at least 1.5 million cars on the road with hemp door panels, tens of millions of dollars spent annually on hemp food and hemp body care and hemp paper is being made in the U.S., people are asking tough questions about why the U.S. government won't distinguish low-THC hemp from high-THC drug varieties. I believe there will be federal legislation soon to address needed reforms," says Baden-Mayer.

Highlights of State Hemp Legislation

Over the past decade at least twenty-five pro-hemp bills have been considered by state legislatures and fourteen have become law. Five states, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia allow for hemp farming on a commercial or research basis. Bills to be considered this year include:

California - Assembly Bill 1147 would give farmers the right to apply for state licenses to grow low THC varieties of hemp. The law would be similar to regulations on industrial hemp in other countries such as Canada and the European Union. The University of California would also conduct research on industrial hemp.

New Hampshire - House Bill 55-FN-A would let farmers apply for a state license to grow industrial hemp. Qualifying farmers must have no criminal convictions and plant at least five acres per year. Only hemp seed that was sold to farmers by the New Hampshire Commissioner of Agriculture would be approved to be planted to ensure only low THC varieties of plant are grown.

North Dakota - House Bill 1492 passed the House on February 16 and passed the Senate on March 1 and is awaiting action by the Governor. HB 1492 allows North Dakota State University to start storing "feral hemp seed" in preparation for the day in which it becomes legal to grow industrial hemp in the United States. The vote in the House was 87-3 and in Senate was 46-0. In 1999 North Dakota was the first state to pass hemp farming legislation but to date has not challenged federal supremacy over the issue in the courts.

Oregon - Senate Bill 294 permits production and possession of industrial hemp and trade in industrial hemp commodities and products. The bill authorizes the State Department of Agriculture to administer a licensing, permitting and inspection program for growers and handlers of industrial hemp.

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