WASHINGTON, DC — Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading hemp grassroots advocacy organization, working to revitalize industrial hemp production in the U.S., is excited to report that an amendment to legalize hemp production for research purposes was included in H.R. 2642, better known as the Farm Bill, passed the House by a vote of 216 to 208 yesterday afternoon. Introduced by Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and passed by a vote of 225 to 200 on a previous unsuccessful version of the Farm Bill, the hemp amendment survived and is part of the House version this time around. The amendment allows colleges and universities to grow hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes, but applies only to states where industrial hemp farming is already legal under state law. The full text of the bill may be found at http://VoteHemp.com/legislation.

“Although I strongly opposed the Republican Farm Bill, I was pleased to see that the bipartisan amendment that I offered with Representatives Blumenauer and Massie was included in the final bill that passed the House of Representatives today,” said Rep. Polis. “This commonsense amendment will allow colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes in states where industrial hemp cultivation is already legal. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this language becomes law.”

“This amendment is a small but fundamental change in the laws that hopefully will one day allow Kentucky farmers to grow industrial hemp again,” said Rep. Massie. “It’s our goal that the research this amendment enables would further broadcast the economic benefits of the sustainable and job-creating crop. I look forward to working with Rep. Polis and Rep. Blumenauer on this issue.”

So far in the 2013 legislative season, industrial hemp legislation has been introduced in twenty states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. The full text of these states’ hemp bills may also be found at http://VoteHemp.com/legislation.

“With the U.S. hemp industry estimated at over $500 million in annual retail sales and growing, a change in federal law to allow for colleges and universities to grow hemp for research would mean that we will finally begin to regain the knowledge that unfortunately has been lost over the past fifty years,” says Vote Hemp President, Eric Steenstra.

In addition to the Farm Bill amendment, two standalone industrial hemp bills have been introduced in the 113th Congress so far. H.R. 525, the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013,” was introduced in the U.S. House on February 6, 2013. The companion bill, S. 359, was introduced in the U.S. Senate soon thereafter on February 14, 2013. The bills define industrial hemp, exclude it from the definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and give states the exclusive authority to regulate the growing and processing of the crop under state law. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp, defined as the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The full text of the bills, as well as their status and co-sponsors, can also be found at http://VoteHemp.com/legislation.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed pro-hemp legislation. Nine states (Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing research. Nine states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia) have passed resolutions. And eight states (Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota and Vermont) have passed study bills. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and civil asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties (i.e., “marihuana”).

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

FRANKFORT, KY — Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading hemp grassroots advocacy organization and industry trade group, working to revitalize industrial hemp production in the U.S., is pleased to report that SB 50, the Kentucky industrial hemp farming bill has become law. Rather than sign the bill, Governor Beshear announced on Friday that he would take no action and allow SB 50 to become law by default. After moving smoothly through the Kentucky Senate with strong bipartisan support, and a very rocky trip through the House, this landmark legislation has now become Kentucky law. The full text of the bill may be found at: http://VoteHemp.com/KY.

“I thank Senator Paul Hornback for introducing SB 50 and ensuring that we have a responsible framework in place for industrial hemp production in Kentucky. But our work is far from over. In May of this year, I plan to lead a bipartisan delegation to Washington, D.C. to pursue a permit that would allow Kentucky to be the first state to grow industrial hemp and benefit from the jobs that will result,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. “I also thank Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Representatives Thomas Massie and John Yarmuth for their support here at home and for sponsoring legislation in Congress. Our shared vision is to create new opportunities for our farmers and to own the industrial hemp market…from automobile parts manufacturing and textiles to cosmetics and health foods. We now have a unified message that Kentucky wants to be first!”

So far in the 2013 legislative season industrial hemp legislation has been introduced in eighteen states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. Industrial hemp legislation is expected to be introduced in at least one more state as well (Michigan). The full text of the bills may be found at: http://VoteHemp.com/legislation.

“Kentucky has a long history of industrial hemp farming, and the state is poised to lead the hemp farming and processing industry again, as soon as the federal government recognizes the value of hemp and allows states to oversee its production,” says Vote Hemp President, Eric Steenstra. “With the U.S. hemp industry valued at an estimated $500 million in annual retail sales and growing, a change in federal policy to once again allow hemp farming would mean instant job creation, among many other economic and environmental benefits,” adds Steenstra.

Two industrial hemp bills have been introduced in the 113th Congress so far. H.R. 525, the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013,” was introduced in the U.S. House on February 6, 2013 with 28 bipartisan cosponsors. The companion bill, S. 359, was introduced in the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2013. The bills define industrial hemp, exclude it from the definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act, and give states the exclusive authority to regulate the growing and processing of industrial hemp under state law. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp, defined as the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The full text of the bills, as well as status and co-sponsors, can be found at: http://VoteHemp.com/legislation.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed such legislation. Eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing hemp research. Nine states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia) have passed hemp resolutions. Six states (Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont) have passed hemp study bills. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and civil asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties (i.e., “marihuana.”)

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today at 9:30 a.m. the California Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on SB 566, a bill that would legalize hemp farming in the state of California. Members of the hemp advocacy organizations Vote Hemp and the Hemp Industries Association, Patrick Goggin, California Legal Counsel for Vote Hemp and David Bronner, President of leading hemp product manufacturer Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, will testify in support of SB 566. The bill clarifies that industrial hemp is separate and distinct from forms of Cannabis used to produce marijuana and, if passed, will allow commercial farming of industrial hemp. SB 566 would only allow farmers to grow industrial hemp under state law once the federal policy that bans hemp farming is changed. SB 566 was introduced on Friday, February 22 by state Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. The bill is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Allan R. Mansoor, a Republican representing the 74th District.

“The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act will create new jobs and economic opportunities for many farmers and manufacturers across California,” said Senator Leno. “Hundreds of consumer products containing hemp are made in the Golden State, but the manufacturers of these goods are forced to import hemp seed, oil, and fiber from growers in Canada, Europe, and China. This new bill is carefully crafted to eliminate conflicts with federal law and has the support of the California State Sheriffs’ Association.”

“On behalf of the California State Sheriffs Association (CSSA) we are pleased to support SB 566, which would revise the definition of “marijuana” so the term would exclude industrial hemp, and enact specified procedures and requirements relating to growing industrial hemp and those who cultivate industrial hemp,” stated a recent letter to the Senate Agriculture Committee from the California State Sheriffs’ Association announcing its endorsement of SB 566.

“The prospects for SB 566 are very good. Unlike past industrial hemp bills, this session’s version does not go into effect until it is authorized by federal law,” says Patrick Goggin, California Legal Counsel for Vote Hemp. “We feel confident that California will finally have an industrial hemp law later this year ensuring that California farmers are ready and able to cultivate hemp upon federal approval.”

Hemp has absolutely no value as a recreational drug. A variety of products made from industrial hemp including healthy food and natural body care products as well as eco-friendly clothing are made in California, however the hemp to make these products must be imported until federal law prohibiting the growth of hemp is changed.

“Dr. Bronner’s currently purchases twenty tons of hemp oil each year from Canada. We look forward to the day that we can meet our supply needs from hemp produced right here in our home state,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps of Escondido.

Data from market research conducted by SPINS demonstrates that retail sales of hemp food and body care products in the United States continue to set records in 2012, reaching $156 million. Sales of popular hemp items like non-dairy milk, shelled seed, soaps and lotions have occurred against the backdrop of increasing grassroots pressure to allow hemp to be grown domestically once again for U.S. processors and manufacturers. The HIA has also reviewed sales of clothing, auto parts, building materials and various other products, and it estimates the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2012 to be at least $500 million.

Two industrial hemp bills have been introduced in the 113th Congress so far. H.R. 525, the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013,” was introduced in the U.S. House on February 6, 2013. The companion bill, S. 359, was introduced in the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2013. The bills define industrial hemp, exclude it from the definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act, and gives states the exclusive authority to regulate the growing and processing of industrial hemp under state law.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed such legislation. Eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing hemp research. Nine states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia) have passed hemp resolutions. Six states (Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont) have passed hemp study bills. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and civil asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis(i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties (i.e., “marihuana”).

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

WASHINGTON, DC — The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and Vote Hemp have announced plans for the fourth annual Hemp History Week to be held from June 3-9, 2013. The theme of the 2013 campaign is Hemp: Our Heritage, Our Future. A national grassroots education campaign designed to amplify support for hemp farming in the U.S., Hemp History Week 2013 will feature an estimated 850 events in cities and towns throughout all 50 states. Volunteer-led grassroots events, retail promotions, a documentary film premiere, a restaurant program, a college campus roadshow, a day of action and an online letter-writing drive to encourage the Obama Administration and Congress to change federal law that currently prohibits American farmers from growing industrial hemp are all facets of the campaign to bring this environmentally sustainable and profitable crop back to American soil. More information and a promotional video for the campaign are available at: www.HempHistoryWeek.com.

“Hemp was once a paramount crop in American agriculture, as a hardy and renewable resource for various industrial applications, including cordage, paper and textiles,” says Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp. “Now, hemp is being used in an even greater variety of products, including health foods, organic body care, clothing, construction materials, biofuels, plastic composites and more. Increasingly, we’re moving toward a future that embraces environmentally sustainable agriculture practices, and hemp is at the forefront of that movement, given its incredibly diverse applications and net-positive environmental impact. Hemp History Week 2013 will focus on how industrial hemp can help build a future in which economic growth and sustainable agricultural and manufacturing practices go hand-in-hand.”

Letter-Writing Campaign
A primary objective of Hemp History Week is to advocate for federal policy change, while sending a strong, positive message to President Obama and Congress to end the ban on hemp farming and let U.S. farmers grow the versatile and profitable crop once again. The campaign will conduct outreach to encourage the public to write their representatives and sign an online petition to change current federal law restricting the cultivation of industrial hemp. Legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress already this session, and many members of Congress currently support the legislation in favor of a federal policy change. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently came out in support of hemp farming by co-sponsoring S. 359, the Senate companion bill to the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 (H.R. 525), and has expressed support for Kentucky’s recently passed Senate bill (SB 50), which would allow Kentucky farmers to grow industrial hemp once federal restrictions are lifted.

“The utilization of hemp to produce everything from clothing to paper is real,” said Sen. McConnell, “and if there is a capacity to center a new domestic industry in Kentucky that will create jobs in these difficult economic times, that sounds like a good thing to me.”

Celebrity Endorsements
Hemp History Week is endorsed by a long list of celebrities and high-profile wellness experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil, Alicia Silverstone, Phil Lempert, Ashley Koff, R.D., Brendan Brazier, Elizabeth Kucinich, Ziggy Marley, Alexandra Jamieson, Dar Williams, Michael Franti, John Salley and Kevin Danaher.

Grassroots Events
This year’s campaign will include over 150 grassroots events nationwide, as well as a new program to bring hemp education programming to over thirty college campuses around the country. Specific details about grassroots events will be announced in early April on the Hemp History Week Web site.

Documentary Film Premiere
Bringing It Home, a new hour-long documentary film about industrial hemp, explores the question of why a crop with so many widespread benefits cannot be farmed in the U.S. today. The film explores the history of hemp, its myriad industrial applications and legalization efforts. Through a grassroots audience engagement screening tour, the documentary aims to magnify dialogue about hemp in order to facilitate America’s transition to a more informed, sustainable and healthy future. The film will premier in conjunction with Hemp History Week 2013 with screenings in major cities across the country.

Filmmakers Linda Booker and Blaire Johnson were inspired by environmentally conscious home designer Anthony Brenner’s story to find the healthiest building material available to build a safe indoor environment for his young daughter, Bailey, who has a sensitivity to synthetic chemicals. Brenner received national media attention when he and Hemp Technologies completed “America’s First Hemp House” for the former mayor of Asheville, North Carolina. Booker and Johnson tell the story of hemp through animation, archival images and footage of hemp business leaders and entrepreneurs like Brenner from England, Spain, Washington, D.C., California and North Carolina. For more information, go to: www.BringingItHomeMovie.com.

Retail Promotions
Promotions and in-store events highlighting the benefits of hemp will occur in hundreds of natural product retail outlets across the county. Hemp product promotions will happen in more than 700 participating retail stores, including most Whole Foods Market locations in the U.S.

National Restaurant Program
Building off the success of the 2012 national restaurant program, Hemp History Week 2013 will invite health-conscious cafes and restaurants around the county to feature hemp-infused dishes on their menus during the week of the campaign. Some restaurants will also host special events.

“Candle 79 is looking forward to supporting the fourth annual Hemp History Week. We already use hemp in many of our favorite menu offerings, including our hemp seed-crusted seitan and our famous hemp seed ice cream desserts. Our chefs love working with hemp seed, and our customers can’t get enough,” says Joy Pierson, owner of Candle 79 & Candle Cafe in New York City.

College Campus Roadshow
The Hemp History Week College Campus Roadshow will travel 9,000 miles through fifteen states, sampling leading hemp products on over thirty campuses in seven major cities across the Midwest, Southwest and West Coast, while engaging students at agricultural colleges with educational programs, petition signings and film screenings on the economic, environmental, agricultural and nutritional benefits of industrial hemp.

Showcasing the Health Benefits of Hemp
A renewable resource offering a long list of health and nutritional benefits, hemp is one of the fastest-growing categories in the natural foods industry. Hemp seed is a rich source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs), providing both SDA and GLA, highly-digestible protein and naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E and iron, while being a good source of dietary fiber. It is a complete protein, containing all ten essential amino acids, with no enzyme inhibitors, making it more digestible by the human body. Hemp seed is also gluten-free.

Industry-Wide Effort
Now in its fourth year, Hemp History Week is an industry-wide effort made possible by the support of leading natural product brands that are known for manufacturing the highest-quality hemp products. Hemp can be used in a wide variety of applications, including foods, cosmetics, clothing, building materials, auto parts and many others. The sponsors of Hemp History Week 2013 include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, Living Harvest Foods, Manitoba Harvest, Nature’s Path Foods, Navitas Naturals, Nutiva, prAna and Vega. A maker of high-quality hemp clothing and accessories, prAna is a new sponsor of the campaign this year, demonstrating the rapid expansion of hemp in the fashion industry for green lifestyle products.

“Consumers want the products they buy to reflect their personal commitment to a healthy lifestyles and environmental responsibility,” says prAna Director of Sustainability, Nicole Bassett. “Hemp clothing has come a long way; the fabrics now are softer and finer. You still get that durable fabric made from a unique plant that is often grown without added irrigation or fertilizers, so its environmental impact is lower. Hemp clothing makes a statement. We’re combining contemporary design and style with sustainable materials, and our new hemp line is a perfect example of how well these values can complement each other when choosing clothes.”

“Hemp is an integral component in our body care products, as the super-fatty hemp oil gives our soap its rich, foaming lather and provides moisture and nourishment to the skin,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the top-selling brand of natural soap in the U.S. “Dr. Bronner’s would like to source the twenty tons of hemp oil we use annually from American farmers, rather than import it from Canada, and we financially support efforts to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp right here in the U.S. We are hopeful that 2013 will be the year in which lawmakers ensure that U.S. farmers are finally allowed to once again plant hemp in American soil.

Dan Ratner, owner of Living Harvest Foods, cites underlying nutritional motivations for their focus on hemp products, saying “Hemp seed is a truly remarkable part of the plant that offers a complete plant protein with all essential amino acid nutrients and an amazing amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs that really improves the way Americans eat. Currently, we must import our hemp seed from Canada and Europe, which translates to higher consumer prices and an increased carbon footprint. This has helped Canadian farmers with a cash rotational crop, but there is growing momentum in Congress from several key states to recognize hemp as an industrial crop. We are helping garner support from key Congressional leaders in eastern urban and industrial states to support the western states; we all need to get on board with opening access to foods that are good for people and the planet.”

“We are very appreciative of the Canadian government’s support and hope that the U.S. government will soon recognize the economic opportunities hemp presents,” says Mike Fata, co-founder and CEO of Manitoba Harvest. “Manitoba Harvest would love to be able to offer production contracts to U.S. farmers, so they can also benefit from this booming opportunity.”

Arran Stephens, founder and CEO of Nature’s Path Foods, North America’s independent, number-one brand of organic breakfast foods, says “Hemp is a nutritious, gluten-free, non-GMO superfood. Our hemp-based cereals, bars and waffles exemplify how naturally hemp can be incorporated into our diets for a much-needed nutritional boost that is often lacking in these types of foods, given the ubiquity of cheap grains like GMO corn. Nature’s Path has proudly been an integral actor in the growth of the hemp industry since its beginning. This June, we look forward to celebrating our country’s long history of hemp farming and educating the public on the benefits of embracing hemp – both in our farmlands and on our breakfast tables.”

“The hemp foods industry is one of the fastest-growing in the country,” says John Roulac, founder and CEO of Nutiva. “Nutiva’s sales have grown at an average annual rate of 52% since 2002. Our industry is seeking new sources of hemp seed to meet the growing demand for hemp foods. American-grown organic hemp is the key to successful business growth for us.”

Legislative Progress
This month, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 (H.R. 525) was introduced in the House with twenty-eight original co-sponsors, and it was quickly joined by a companion bill in the Senate (S. 359) which was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), underscoring the bipartisan support around the hemp issue. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp, defined as the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The full text of the bills, as well as status and co-sponsors, can be found at: www.VoteHemp.com/legislation.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed legislation, while eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states risk raids by federal agents if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive varieties (i.e., marihuana).

So far in the 2013 legislative session, industrial hemp legislation has been introduced in fourteen states (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and Washington). Legislation is expected to be introduced in at least one more state as well (Colorado).

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Hemp Industries Association (HIA), a non-profit trade association consisting of hundreds of hemp businesses, has released final estimates of the size of the 2012 U.S. retail market for hemp products. Data from market research supporting the estimates shows that retail sales of hemp food and body care products in the United States continue to set records in 2012, reaching $156 million. Sales of popular hemp items like non-dairy milk, shelled seed, soaps and lotions have occurred against the backdrop of increasing grassroots pressure to allow hemp to be grown domestically once again for U.S. processors and manufacturers. The HIA has also reviewed sales of clothing, auto parts, building materials and various other products, and it estimates the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2012 to be at least $500 million.

The sales data on hemp foods and body care, collected by market research firm SPINS, was obtained from natural and conventional food retailers, excluding Whole Foods Market and certain other key establishments, who do not provide sales data – and thus it underestimates actual sales by a factor of at least three. According to the SPINS data, combined U.S. hemp food and body care sales grew in the sampled stores by 16.5%, or $7.38 million, over the previous year ending December 23, 2011 to a total of just over $52 million. According to SPINS figures, sales in conventional retailers grew by 14.1% in 2012, while sales in natural retailers grew by 18.0%.

“The HIA is confident that the total U.S. hemp food and body care market in 2012 accounted for at least $156 million in retail sales,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, which uses hemp oil in its top-selling products. “The market is poised and ready for American hemp farmers and manufacturers, and the federal government needs to finally legalize this valuable crop, so we can take advantage of its economic opportunities.”

Due to significant sales from certain retailers excluded from the SPINS data, such as The Body Shop, Whole Foods Market and restaurants in general, as well as the fact that many unreported leading mass-market brands of suntan lotion and sunscreen include hemp oil, the HIA estimates the total retail value of hemp food, supplement and body care sales in the U.S. to be in the range of $156-$171 million for 2012.

“The HIA estimates the total retail value of all hemp products sold in the U.S. to be at least $500 million for 2012,” says Eric Steenstra, Executive Director of the HIA. “As the hemp market grows and Canadian farmers increase their hemp acreage to meet demand, U.S. farmers’ frustration at being shut out of the lucrative worldwide hemp market is catalyzing real movement throughout all levels of government to legalize industrial hemp,” continues Steenstra.

This month, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 (H.R. 525) was introduced in the House with twenty-eight original co-sponsors, and it was quickly joined by a companion bill in the Senate (S. 359) which was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), underscoring the bipartisan support around the hemp issue. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp, defined as the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The full text of the bills, as well as status and co-sponsors, can be found at: http://www.VoteHemp.com/legislation.

“Introducing this bill [S. 359] is the first step towards a common sense policy on hemp that helps create American jobs,” says Senator Wyden. “It is vital that all advocates for industrial hemp redouble their efforts to win support in Congress, if we are going to reestablish this economically important crop.”

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vote Hemp is pleased to announce that today Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced a Senate companion bill to H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013, which was introduced last week in the House with a total of twenty-eight original co-sponsors. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp, the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The language of the bills is identical. The full text of the bills, their current status and a list of co-sponsors may be found at: https://www.votehemp.com/legislation.

“Unfortunately, there are some dumb regulations that are hurting economic growth and job creation, and the ban on growing industrial hemp is certainly among them,” said Sen. Ron Wyden. “The opportunities for American farmers and businesses are obvious here. It’s time to boost revenues for farmers and reduce the costs for the businesses around the country that use hemp.”

The Senate companion bill was introduced following an important state Senate Agriculture Committee hearing in Kentucky where legislators are currently embroiled in a heated debate, as momentum grows to bring back hemp farming and processing in the state. Efforts by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who recently reinstated the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission, have the support of Senators Paul and McConnell. After hearing the testimony of both law enforcement and supporters, including former CIA Director James Woolsey, Sen. Paul, and Representatives John Yarmuth (D-KY) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), the Committee voted 11-0 to recommend passage of the bill by the full Senate.

“I am convinced that allowing [hemp] production will be a positive development for Kentucky’s farm families and economy,” Sen. McConnell said in a statement. “The utilization of hemp to produce everything from clothing to paper is real, and if there is a capacity to center a new domestic industry in Kentucky that will create jobs in these difficult economic times, that sounds like a good thing to me.”

H.R. 525 is the fifth time a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of industrial hemp farming since the federal government outlawed it in this country forty-three years ago. The bill was first introduced in 2005 by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) in the House, and the current version already has the bipartisan support of eight Republicans and twenty-one Democrats. If passed, H.R. 525 and the Senate companion bill would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp by defining it as distinct from “marihuana” and allowing its farming and processing in accordance with state law.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed such legislation. Eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing hemp research. Nine states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia) have passed hemp resolutions. Six states (Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont) have passed hemp study bills. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties (i.e., “marihuana”).

“We are very pleased to see action being taken in both the House and Senate, as well as in many state legislatures, on the issue of allowing American farmers to once again grow this versatile, sustainable, and profitable crop. American farmers are being denied the right to grow a crop that our Founding Fathers considered essential to our nation’s well-being,” says Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading single-issue advocacy group dedicated to re-commercializing industrial hemp. “It is imperative now that other Representatives and Senators co-sponsor these bills, and that President Obama and Attorney General Holder also issue waivers to allow American farmers to grow hemp under state law where legal. With the U.S. hemp industry valued at over $500 million in annual retail sales, and growing, a change in federal policy to once again allow hemp farming would mean instant job creation, among many other economic and environmental benefits,” adds Steenstra.

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a California company that manufactures the number-one-selling natural soap in the U.S., as well as best-selling hemp food manufacturers, such as Living Harvest, Manitoba Harvest, Nature’s Path, Navitas, Nutiva and Sequel Naturals. All of these companies have no choice but to make their products from hemp grown in Canada or other countries. Sustainable hemp seed, fiber and oil are also used as raw materials by major companies, such as Ford Motors, Patagonia and The Body Shop, to make a wide variety of products.

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

FRANKFURT, KY — On February 11 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Congressional representatives Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), former CIA Director James Woolsey and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer will testify before the Kentucky Senate Agriculture Committee in support of Kentucky Senate Bill 50, which would direct the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to create a program for licensing farmers to grow industrial hemp, establish conditions and stipulations for license holders, and define procedures for communication between the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and law enforcement. If passed, SB 50 would begin the process of regulating and rebuilding the agriculture infrastructure for hemp cultivation, but would not begin licensing Kentucky farmers to grow the crop until current federal restrictions on hemp are lifted.

“Kentucky has the perfect soil and climate to be the nation’s top producer of industrial hemp,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said. “Studies have shown that hemp could be at least the third most profitable crop in Kentucky and our farmers could capture the lion’s share of the industry,” continued Comer.

Grown for its versatile fiber and oilseed, which can be used to make rope, paper, building materials, bio-fuels, cosmetics, healthy food and body care products, textiles, plastic composites, and much more hemp was once a paramount crop of Kentucky cultivated in the state as recently as the 1950’s, but was permanently banned in 1970 as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The pending return of hemp to Kentucky’s farmland and mills is lauded by many political, agriculture and industry leaders in the state and beyond who view SB 50 as a step toward job growth and sustained economic stability in the Commonwealth.

“I am convinced that allowing its production will be a positive development for Kentucky’s farm families and economy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, “The utilization of hemp to produce everything from clothing to paper is real, and if there is a capacity to center a new domestic industry in Kentucky that will create jobs in these difficult economic times, that sounds like a good thing to me.”

Passage of SB 50 in the Kentucky legislature also holds considerable interest to many American businesses that incorporate hemp into their products, as it would potentially allow these companies to purchase hemp from American farmers and processors, rather than rely on imports from Canada and China.

“We want to be the first U.S. brand to start using hemp from American rather than Canadian farmers, once they can grow hemp again in Kentucky,” said David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America which imports over 20 tons of organic hemp oil from Canada annually. “We are planning a new line of food products made with American-farmed hemp seed and oil, to capitalize on the booming U.S. market for nutritious foods made with hemp seeds.”

“We are very pleased to see action being taken in both the House and Senate, and in states like Kentucky, on the issue of allowing American farmers to grow this versatile, sustainable, and environmentally friendly crop. American farmers are being denied the right to grow a crop that our Founding Fathers considered essential to our nation’s well-being,” says Eric Steenstra President of Vote Hemp, the nation’s only single-issue advocacy group dedicated to re-commercializing industrial hemp. “It is imperative now that other Kentucky state Representatives and Senators co-sponsor theses bills, and that President Obama and Attorney General Holder also take action to allow American farmers to grow hemp under state law. With the U.S. hemp industry valued at over $452 million in annual retail sales and growing, a change in federal policy to once again allow hemp farming would mean instant job creation, among many other economic and environmental benefits.” adds Steenstra.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed pro-hemp legislation. Eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky, and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing research. Nine states have passed hemp resolutions: California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia. Six states have passed hemp study bills: Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in these states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties.

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013, with a total of twenty-eight original co-sponsors. Later this month, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY) are expected to introduce a Senate companion bill to H.R. 525. If passed, the bills would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp, the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The language of the bills mirror each other. The full text of the bills, their current status and a list of co-sponsors may be found at: https://www.votehemp.com/legislation

“Industrial hemp is a sustainable crop and could be a great economic opportunity for Kentucky farmers,” says Rep. Massie. “My wife and I are raising our children on the tobacco and cattle farm where my wife grew up. Tobacco is no longer a viable crop for many of us in Kentucky, and we understand how hard it is for a family farm to turn a profit these days. Industrial hemp will give small farmers another opportunity to succeed.”

Rep. Massie is picking up where former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who introduced the previous four versions of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act in Congress, left off. Rep. Massie’s home state of Kentucky is currently embroiled in a heated debate, as momentum grows to bring back hemp farming and processing in the state. Efforts by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who recently reinstated the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission, have the support of Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

H.R. 525 is the fifth time a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of industrial hemp farming since the federal government outlawed it in this country forty-three years ago. The bill was first introduced in 2005 by Rep. Ron Paul in the House, and the current version already has the bipartisan support of eight Republicans and twenty-one Democrats. If passed, H.R. 525 would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp by defining it as distinct from “marihuana” and allowing its farming and processing in accordance with state law.

To date, thirty-one states have introduced pro-hemp legislation and nineteen have passed such legislation. Eight states (Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia) have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. Three states (Hawaii, Kentucky and Maryland) have passed bills creating commissions or authorizing hemp research. Nine states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Virginia) have passed hemp resolutions. Six states (Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont) have passed hemp study bills. However, despite state authorization to grow hemp, farmers in those states still risk raids by federal agents, prison time, and property and asset forfeiture if they plant the crop, due to the failure of federal policy to distinguish non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis (i.e., industrial hemp) from psychoactive drug varieties (i.e., “marihuana”).

“We are very pleased to see action being taken in both the House and Senate, as well as in many state houses, on the issue of allowing American farmers to once again grow this versatile, sustainable and profitable crop. American farmers are being denied the right to grow a crop that our Founding Fathers considered essential to our nation’s well-being,” says Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading single-issue advocacy group dedicated to re-commercializing industrial hemp. “It is imperative now that other Representatives and Senators co-sponsor these bills, and that President Obama and Attorney General Holder also issue waivers to allow American farmers to grow hemp under state law where legal. With the U.S. hemp industry valued at over $452 million in annual retail sales, and growing, a change in federal policy to once again allow hemp farming would mean instant job creation, among many other economic and environmental benefits,” adds Steenstra.

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a California company that manufactures the number-one-selling natural soap in the U.S., as well as best-selling hemp food manufacturers, such as Living Harvest, Manitoba Harvest, Nature’s Path, Navitas, Nutiva and Sequel Naturals. All of these companies have no choice but to make their products from hemp grown in Canada or other countries. Sustainable hemp seed, fiber and oil are also used as raw materials by major companies, such as Ford Motors, Patagonia and The Body Shop, to make a wide variety of products.

H.R. 525 was introduced by chief sponsors Rep. Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Schrader (D-OR), with twenty-eight original co-sponsors: Rep. Schrader (D-OR), Rep. Polis (D-CO), Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Hanna (R-NY), Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Farr (D-CA), Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Amash (R-MI), Rep. DeFazio (D-OR), Rep. Ellison (D-MN), Del. Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Clay (D-MO), Rep. Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Moran (D-VA), Rep. Bonamici (D-OR), Rep. Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Yarmuth (D-KY), Rep. Peterson (D-MN), Rep. Benishek (R-MI), Rep. McClintock (R-CA), Rep. Campbell (R-CA), Rep. Lee (D-CA), Rep. Pocan (D-WI), Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Miller (D-CA), Rep. McDermott (D-WA) and Rep. Yoho (R-FL).

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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially.