SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Vote Hemp (www.VoteHemp.com), the nation’s leading grassroots organization dedicated to removing barriers to growing industrial hemp, has named California Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco “Legislator of the Year” for sponsoring AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act. Thanks to Mr. Leno and his staff’s tireless work, his landmark legislation passed both the California Assembly and Senate, but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September of this year. The award presentation will be given at the Hemp Industries Association’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 9 at 4:30 pm at the Ramada Civic Center located at 1231 Market Street in San Francisco.

Once passing out of the Assembly in January of this year, AB 1147 gained momentum due to Mr. Leno’s successful advocacy to fellow legislators. Vote Hemp has worked with numerous officials at all levels of government to shape legislation; Mr. Leno is a model advocate for rational hemp policy.

Another important reason Vote Hemp’s recognition is focused on Mr. Leno is his staff’s sincere enthusiasm which assisted greatly in securing new public awareness of the hemp issue and the common sense solutions the vast majority of citizens believe should be enacted. Careful deliberation by the staff focused on real world solutions giving farmers in America equal rights with those around the rest of the world to grow the crop.

Mr. Leno invited hemp business leaders, who spend millions of dollars each year importing hemp from Canada, China and Europe, to testify at hearings. The award will be presented at the annual Hemp Industries Association meeting featuring numerous hemp product displays.

AB 1147 had been carefully crafted to comply with federal law and minimize any impact on law enforcement. It included tough regulations without placing an undue burden on farmers. The bill would have permitted cultivation of only ultra-low-THC industrial hemp grown as an agricultural field crop or in a research setting. Backyard or horticultural cultivation would have been prohibited, and any clandestine grove of Cannabis would have been considered a controlled substance regardless of its THC content.

No industrial hemp is grown in the United States today, even though seven states(Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have passed hemp farming and research bills in recent years.

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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 — Vote Hemp (www.VoteHemp.com), the nation’s largest grassroots organization working to allow American farmers to once again grow industrial hemp under state or federal regulation, is predicting major growth in the hemp food market in 2007. Two new non-dairy hemp “milk” beverages were exhibited at the Natural Products Expo East 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland earlier this month and have received rave reviews. Gourmet Retailer wrote, “We were particularly impressed with the newly developed crop of hemp milks, packing a powerhouse punch of omega-3 essential fatty acids and protein.” Living Harvest Hempmilk™ and Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss™ are the latest entries in the continually-growing hemp food market. Both brands come in Original, Vanilla and Chocolate flavors and are expected to make their public debuts in January of 2007.

Never sold before commercially, hemp milk is high in protein like soy milk, but hemp does not contain the phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors that soy does. Hemp milk is a good source of balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, unlike rice milk, and it also contains a wide range of naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Thiamin and Zinc.

“We expect the double-digit growth of the hemp food sector to continue in 2007, now that hemp milk will finally be available to waiting consumers,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “I tried all of the flavors available at Expo East in Baltimore, and they were just amazing, as were their nutritional profiles. I can’t wait to try some on my homemade hemp granola for breakfast,” added Steenstra.

Hemp milk is a refreshing alternative to nut- and grain-based beverages as well as dairy beverages. Grain-based beverages are often lacking in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), protein and minerals, unless they are fortified. Nut-based milks and dairy beverages are nutritionally better, but more and more people, especially children, are developing allergies to tree nuts and dairy products.

“We wanted to offer a great-tasting, healthy product that we can feel good about giving our own kids,” says Christina Volgyesi, President of Living Harvest (www.LivingHarvest.com). “As more and more consumers begin searching the shelves for alternative dairy products that are enjoyable to drink and contain unprocessed ingredients, we thought this was the perfect time to introduce a real essential and balanced nutritional beverage that the whole family can enjoy.”

“Hemp seed is nature’s best and most-balanced source of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs, and that is fueling interest from nutrition experts, consumers, retailers and manufacturers,” says Mike Fata, President and Co-Founder of Manitoba Harvest (www.ManitobaHarvest.com). In addition to its high concentration of EFAs, hemp milk has a strong digestible protein profile, is a good source of Iron and contains no trans-fats.

“Despite the fact that no U.S. farmer can grow industrial hemp due to federal restrictions, new and innovative hemp food products continue to be introduced to a waiting U.S. marketplace,” says Alexis Baden-Mayer, Director of Government Affairs for Vote Hemp. “As the demand for hemp seed continues to rise with the introduction of these new and innovative hemp food products, so will the pressure on state and federal officials to allow hemp farming. We are already seeing this kind of increased demand for change in a number of states including North Dakota which is about to finalize new hemp farming rules.”

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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 — Waiting until the last possible day to decide, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, late in the day on Saturday, September 30. This landmark, bipartisan legislation if enacted would have established clear guidelines for farming of industrial hemp, which is used in a wide variety of everyday consumer products, including food, body care, clothing, paper and auto parts. Demand for hemp products has been growing rapidly in recent years with the U.S. hemp product market now exceeding an estimated $270 million in annual retail sales. The new law would have given farmers the ability to legally supply numerous California manufacturers that currently import hemp seed, oil and fiber.

“Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto is a let down for thousands of farmers, business people and consumers who want to bring back industrial hemp to California to create jobs, new tax income and to benefit the environment,” says Eric Steenstra, founder and President of Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading industrial hemp farming advocacy group. “The veto was not based on facts but instead on an irrational fear he would look soft on drugs in an election year. His veto message shows he knew industrial hemp is an economic development and agriculture issue, but he instead allowed himself to be cowed by confused Drug War lobbyists. AB 1147 would have reigned in the overreach by federal authorities that has prevented non-drug industrial hemp varieties of cannabis from being grown on U.S. soil for fiber and seed. It is disingenuous to cite federal restrictions when Drug War lobbyists refuse to sit down with the large coalition of farmers, business people and environmentalists who crafted the industrial hemp legislation. Industrial hemp will continue to be the only crop in California that is legal to import, sell and consume, but illegal to grow.”

AB 1147 clarified that the cultivation of industrial hemp is legal only on the condition it contains no more than three tenths of one percent (0.3%) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The legislation was jointly authored by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno and Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore. The California Industrial Hemp Farming Actpassed its final vote in the Senate on August 16 by a margin of 26-13 and passed in the Assembly on August 21 by a margin of 44-29.

“It’s unfortunate that Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1147. We had looked forward to the hemp oil and seed in our products being grown and produced right here in California,” says David Bronner, Chair of the Hemp Industries Association’s Food and Oil Committee and President of ALPSNACK/Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. “Farmers in California, like farmers all across the United States, are always looking for profitable crops like hemp to add to their rotation. This veto clearly points out why HR 3037, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005, needs to be passed on the federal level.”

According to USDA researcher Lyster H. Dewey in the 1901 USDA Yearbook, hemp was first cultivated in California in the late 1800’s in Butte County, near the town of Gridley, between Chico and Yuba City. In the 1913 USDA Yearbook Mr. Dewey wrote that “In 1912 hemp was first cultivated on a commercial scale under irrigation at Lerdo, near Bakersfield, Cal., and a larger acreage was grown there in 1913.” Commercial industrial hemp farming ceased in the state shortly after World War II.

The last commercial hemp crops in the United States were grown in central Wisconsin in 1957, and these crops were purchased and processed by the Rens Hemp Co. in Brandon, about 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The primary reason industrial hemp has not been grown in the U.S. since then is because of its misclassification as a Schedule I drug in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 had provisions for farmers to grow non-psychoactive hemp by paying 
an annual occupational tax of $1.00. The exemption for hemp products was contained in the definition of marihuana in the Act:

“The term ‘marihuana’ means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L … but shall not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.”

The language of the exemption was carried over almost verbatim in the definition of marihuana in the CSA [21 U.S.C. §802(16)] which superseded the 1937 Tax Act, but since there was no active hemp industry at the time the provisions for hemp farming were not part of the new Act.

There is also an exemption for hemp farming in the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol Amending the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Article 28 states that:

“2. This Convention shall not apply to the cultivation of the cannabis plant exclusively for industrial purposes (fibre and seed) or horticultural purposes.”

The United States is a signatory of the United Nations Single Convention, and laws allowing the farming of industrial hemp would not be in conflict with the agreement.

The industrial hemp plant’s stalk is long and strong, has few branches, has been bred for maximum production of fiber and/or seed, and grows up to 16 feet in height. It is planted in densities of 100 to 300 plants per square yard. On the other hand, drug varieties of cannabis grow up to only 6 feet or less in height and have been bred to have many branches to maximize flowering and minimize seeds. They are planted with wide spaces between plants to enhance their bushiness. The drug and non-drug varieties are harvested at different times, and the planting densities look very different from the air.

In 1999, California Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin introduced HR 32. The resolution declared, among other findings, that the legislature should consider action to allow industrial hemp production in California as an agricultural and industrial crop. The Assembly passed HR 32 the following month. Then Assemblywoman Strom-Martin introduced AB 448 in 2001 to license industrial hemp for commercial purposes. The bill died in committee. In 2002, Assemblywoman Strom-Martin introduced AB 388, requesting that the University of California conduct an assessment of industrial hemp among other crops. AB 388 ultimately passed the legislature but was vetoed by Governor Gray Davis later that year.

Seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have already changed their laws to give farmers an affirmative right to grow industrial hemp commercially or for research purposes; however, unlike California’s AB 1147, all require a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to grow the crop. Only Hawaii has grown hemp in recent years, but the research program ended when the DEA refused to renew the license. California’s AB 1147 addressed the DEA’s bad faith interference by providing that the federal government has no basis or right to interfere with industrial hemp grown in California pursuant to AB 1147.

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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 — With a deadline of September 30 just a week away, California farmers, environmentalists and business leaders look forward to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision on whether to sign AB 1147, “The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act.” This landmark, bipartisan legislation establishes guidelines for farming industrial hemp as an agricultural crop, which is used in a wide variety of everyday consumer products, including food, body care, clothing, paper and auto parts. Many hemp products are already manufactured in California and other states using hemp grown in Canada, Europe and China.

Demand for hemp products has been growing rapidly in recent years. The U.S. hemp market now exceeds an estimated $270 million in annual retail sales. The new law will give farmers the ability to legally supply California manufacturers who currently import hemp seed, oil and fiber and clarifies that the cultivation of industrial hemp is legal on the condition it contains no more than three tenths of one percent (0.3%) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The new law would not legalize marijuana cultivation.

AB 1147 was introduced in February 2005 by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno. This year, the bill was amended and Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore joined as a co-author. The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act passed its final vote in the Senate on August 16 by a margin of 26-13 and passed its final vote in the Assembly on August 21 by a margin of 44-29.

The new law would challenge the federal government’s misguided ban on non-psychoactive hemp farming and would likely trigger a legal battle between California farmers and the federal government. It has the support of numerous organizations, including California Certified Organic Farmers, California State Grange, Rainforest Action Network, Organic Consumers Association, Sierra Club and Hemp Industries Association, and well-known businesses that make or sell hemp products, such as Patagonia, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, Alterna Professional Haircare, Whole Foods Market and Nutiva Foods.

The last commercial hemp crops in the United States were grown in central Wisconsin in 1957. The primary reason industrial hemp has not been grown in the U.S. since then is because of its misclassification as a Schedule I drug in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. However, the CSA exempts hemp from control, which is why it can be imported.

The industrial hemp plant’s stalk is long and strong, has few branches, has been bred for maximum production of fiber and/or seed, and grows up to 16 feet in height. Hemp is planted in densities of 100 to 300 plants per square yard. More facts about hemp can be found at www.VoteHemp.com.

California must assert its right to regulate industrial hemp as permitted by the U.S. Constitution and the 2004 9th U.S. Circuit Court decision in HIA v DEA. Seven states(Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have already changed their laws to give farmers an affirmative right to grow industrial hemp commercially or for research purposes; however, unlike California’s AB 1147, all require a license from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to grow the crop. Only Hawaiihas grown hemp in recent years, but the research program ended when the DEA refused to renew the license.

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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 — AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, passed its final vote in the Assembly today by a bipartisan vote of 44-29. The bill now heads to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature. Since passing out of the Assembly in January of this year, AB 1147 has gained momentum as legislators learned that California businesses spend millions of dollars each year importing hemp from Canada, China and Europe. Demand for hemp products such as clothing, food, body care, paper and even auto parts has been growing rapidly in recent years, with the U.S. hemp market now exceeding an estimated $270 million in annual retail sales. The new law would give farmers the ability to legally supply U.S. manufacturers with hemp seed, oil and fiber and would not weaken anti-drug laws.

“We thank legislators from both parties that listened to the facts about industrial hemp and made an historic decision to bring back the crop,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “Passage in the California Legislature is a major accomplishment for the authors and sponsors of the bill, as well as for thousands of environmentally-conscious voters, farmers and businesses who wrote California legislators,” says Steenstra.

The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act was introduced in February of 2005 by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno. This year, the bill was amended, and Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore joined as co-author. In the bipartisan spirit of the legislation, the bill was managed on the floor of the Senate by Republican Tom McClintock and received support from Senator Able Maldonado, a farmer and Republican member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Another influential Republican Senator who supported the bill was Sam Aanestad, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The support of Democratic Assemblymember Barbara Matthews, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, also was key to the bill’s passage.

AB 1147 has been carefully crafted to comply with federal law and minimize impact to law enforcement. It includes tough regulations without placing an undue burden on farmers. The bill permits cultivation of only ultra-low-THC industrial hemp grown as an agricultural field crop or in a research setting. Backyard or horticultural cultivation is prohibited. Any clandestine grove of Cannabis will be considered a controlled substance regardless of its THC content.

Vote Hemp believes the new law would withstand federal scrutiny in the form of legal challenges and ultimately will result in commercial hemp farming in California. No industrial hemp is grown in the United States today, even though seven states have passed hemp farming and research bills in recent years. More details on industrial hemp legislation can be found at www.VoteHemp.com. 

Final passage of AB 1147 could revitalize commercial industrial hemp farming, which occurred in California until shortly after World War II. “It appears the hemp seed and oil we currently import soon will be grown and produced right here in California,” says David Bronner, Chair of the Hemp Industries Association’s (HIA) Food and Oil Committee and President of ALPSNACK/Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. “The HIA’s member companies are urging Governor Schwarzenegger to support California’s farmers and natural products industry by signing the industrial hemp bill. Double-digit sales growth over the last few years in the hemp food and body care sectors indicates strong consumer demand for hemp products that will sustain high prices for farmers for years to come,” he adds.

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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 — AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, passed in the Senate today by a vote of 26-13. The bill now heads to the Assembly for a final concurrence vote and will then be sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature. Since passing out of the Assembly in January of this year, AB 1147 has gained momentum as legislators learned that California businesses spend millions of dollars each year importing hemp from Canada, China and Europe. Demand for hemp products such as clothing, food, body care, paper and even auto parts has been growing rapidly in recent years, with the U.S. hemp market now exceeding an estimated $270 million in annual retail sales. The new law would give farmers the ability to legally supply U.S. manufacturers with hemp seed, oil and fiber and would not weaken anti-drug laws.

“We thank legislators from both parties that listened to the facts about industrial hemp and made an historic decision to bring back the crop,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “Passage in the California Legislature is a major accomplishment for the authors and sponsors of the bill, as well as for thousands of environmentally-conscious voters, farmers and businesses that wrote California legislators,” says Steenstra.

The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act was introduced in February of 2005 by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno. This year, the bill was amended, and Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore  joined as co-author. In the bipartisan spirit of the legislation, the bill was managed on the floor of the Senate by Republican Tom McClintock and received support from Senator Able Maldonado, a farmer and Republican member of the Agriculture Committee. Another influential Republican Senator who supported the bill was, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 1147 has been carefully crafted to comply with federal law and minimize impact to law enforcement. It includes tough regulations without placing an undue burden on farmers. The bill permits cultivation of only ultra-low-THC industrial hemp grown as an agricultural field crop or in a research setting. Backyard or horticultural cultivation is prohibited. Any clandestine grove of Cannabis will be considered a controlled substance regardless of its THC content.

California’s AB 1147 has already passed a series of committee votes and a floor vote in the Assembly. The final passage in the Assembly is expected by the end of August. Vote Hemp believes the new law would withstand federal scrutiny in the form of legal challenges and ultimately will result in commercial hemp farming in California. No industrial hemp is grown in the United States today, even though seven states have passed hemp farming and research bills in recent years. More details on industrial hemp legislation can be found at www.VoteHemp.com. 

Final passage of AB 1147 could revitalize commercial industrial hemp farming, which occurred in California until shortly after World War II. “It appears the hemp seed and oil we currently import soon will be grown and produced right here in California,” says David Bronner, Chair of the Hemp Industries Association’s (HIA) Food and Oil Committee and President of ALPSNACK/Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. “The HIA’s member companies are urging Governor Schwarzenegger to promote sustainable growth for the California economy by signing the industrial hemp bill. Increasing double-digit sales growth over the last few years in the hemp food and body care sectors indicates strong consumer demand for hemp products that will sustain high prices for farmers for years to come,” he adds.

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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 — Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading grassroots organization working to revitalize U.S. industrial hemp production, urges California editorial writers to support AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, as final Senate and Assembly votes are expected in August. This landmark bipartisan legislation would establish guidelines for farming the non-psychoactive plant used in a wide variety of everyday consumer products, including food, body care, clothing, paper, auto parts and bio-fuel.

Since passing out of the Assembly in January, AB 1147 has gained momentum as more legislators learn that California businesses spend millions of dollars each year importing hemp from Canada, China and Europe. Demand for hemp products has been growing rapidly in recent years. The U.S. hemp market now exceeds $270 million in estimated annual retail sales. The new law would give farmers the ability to legally supply California manufacturers with hemp seed, oil and fiber.

For the environment, the agricultural benefits are not limited to the versatility of uses. Industrial hemp is an excellent rotational crop because it naturally reduces nematode populations (microscopic worms that eat crops), while its dense growth smothers weeds. Hemp requires less water and agricultural chemicals than other crops and has deep roots that leave the soil in excellent condition for the next crop. These benefits save farmers money and reduce the amount of pesticides, defoliants and chemical fertilizer that runs into our waterways.

The primary reason industrial hemp has not been grown in the U.S. since the 1950s is a perceived similarity to marijuana; however, the plants are very different. The industrial hemp plant’s stalk is long and strong, has few branches, has been bred for maximum production of seed, and grows up to 16 feet in height. It is planted in densities of 100 to 300 plants per square yard. On the other hand, marijuana is a tropical variety of cannabis that grows up to 6 feet in height and has been bred to have many branches to maximize flowering sites and minimize seeds. It is planted with wide spaces between plants to enhance its bushiness. Marijuana growers kill male pollinating plants to promote flower growth, while industrial hemp farmers leave the male plants as they are crucial to seed production.

The California Industrial Hemp Act was introduced in February of 2005 by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno. This year, the bill was amended, and Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore joined as a co-author. AB 1147 has been carefully crafted to comply with federal law and minimize impact to law enforcement. It includes tough regulations without placing an undue burden on farmers. The bill only permits cultivation of industrial hemp when grown as an agricultural field crop or in a research setting. Backyard or horticultural cultivation is prohibited. Any clandestine grove of cannabis is considered marijuana regardless of THC content.

Prior to harvest, a farmer must obtain a laboratory test report from a DEA-registered laboratory documenting the THC content of the crop. Farmers must retain a copy of the test report for two years from its date of sampling, make it available to law enforcement officials upon request, and provide a copy to each person purchasing, transporting or otherwise obtaining the oil, cake or seed of the plant. Crops that exceed the 0.3% THC limit must be destroyed.

To eliminate the possibility that industrial hemp could be mistaken for marijuana, the bill does not include the leaves or flowering tops among the legal parts of the industrial hemp plant. Regardless of THC content, leaves and flowers that are removed from the field of cultivation are not considered industrial hemp. Hemp flowers have no psychoactive effects or current legal commercial application. Nevertheless, it is important to prevent marijuana defendants from making the specious claim that confiscated marijuana leaves and flowers are industrial hemp. The bright-line definitions and requirements in AB 1147 ensure that law enforcement will not be negatively impacted.

Vote Hemp’s goal is to relieve California farmers of the over-reaching prohibition on industrial hemp cultivation. California must assert its right to regulate industrial hemp as permitted by the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Congress and the 2004 9th U.S. Circuit Court decision in HIA v DEA. The legislation clarifies that the cultivation of industrial hemp is legal on the condition it contains no more than three tenths of one percent (0.3%) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Final passage of AB 1147 could revitalize commercial industrial hemp farming, which occurred in the state until shortly after World War II. Farmers have high expectations for the crop, given the exceptionally large hemp yields that California farmers once achieved and the great strides made in agricultural irrigation and mechanization since hemp was last grown.

From natural soaps to healthy foods, there are a variety of “Made in California” hemp products that could benefit from an in-state source of hemp seed, fiber and oil. According to the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), there are over 50 member businesses that make or sell hemp products in California.

Support for state action on industrial hemp farming is growing among U.S. manufacturers whose appetite for hemp fiber, seed and oil is fueling the increased demand. For example, in the automotive industry, industrial hemp is used in the natural fiber composites that have rapidly replaced fiberglass as the material of choice for vehicle interiors. FlexForm, an Indiana manufacturer whose hemp-content materials are found in an estimated 2.5 million vehicles in North America today, uses approximately 250,000 pounds of hemp fiber per year. The company says industrial hemp could easily take a greater share of the 4 million pounds of natural fiber it uses yearly, as “hemp fiber possesses physical properties beneficial to our natural fiber-based composites.” In addition, FlexForm says it would “gladly expand domestic purchases.”

Patagonia, an environmentally-conscious outdoor clothing manufacturer and retailer that sells hemp clothing at Whole Foods, has recently added its name to the list of businesses that support California’s hemp bill. That list already includes Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps(North America’s top-selling natural soap company), Alterna (a high-end salon hair products company) and Nutiva (a rising star among innovative health food companies) — all three of which are based in California.

Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50% over the previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year.

Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have changed their laws to give farmers an affirmative right to grow industrial hemp commercially or for research purposes. California’s AB 1147 already passed a series of committee votes and a floor vote in the Assembly. Final votes in the Senate and Assembly are expected before the end of August.

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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 — North Dakota and California are in a race to be the first state in the U.S. to commercially grow industrial hemp since Wisconsin grew the last hemp crop nearly 50 years ago. This week, each state will conduct important public hearings on the subject. The California Senate Public Safety Committee holds a hearing Tuesday, June 13, 2006 on AB 1147, a bill that would affirmatively grant farmers the right to grow industrial hemp to produce seed and fiber, while North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson holds a public hearing on Thursday, June 15, 2006 about rules expected to be finalized later this year that would license farmers to grow hemp under existing state law.

The hearings are taking place in the shadow of Canadian hemp farming which has seen steady growth over the last six years. This year, Canada is expected to grow a record 40,000 acres of industrial hemp. Nevertheless, rumors persist that the demand for hemp seed from U.S. food producers — whose sales are growing 50% each year — will create shortages before harvest again this summer, forcing buyers to go to Europe or China for seed. “American farmers are tired of looking around the world and seeing other farmers making healthy profits growing hemp for export to the U.S. They want change,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra.

Support for state action on industrial hemp farming is growing among U.S. manufacturers whose appetite for hemp fiber, seed and oil is fueling the increased demand. For example, in the automotive industry, industrial hemp is used in the natural fiber composites that have rapidly replaced fiberglass as the material of choice for vehicle interiors. FlexForm, an Indiana manufacturer whose hemp-content materials are found in an estimated 2.5 million vehicles in North America today, uses approximately 250,000 pounds of hemp fiber per year. The company says industrial hemp could easily take a greater share of the 4 million pounds of natural fiber it uses yearly, as “hemp fiber possesses physical properties beneficial to our natural fiber-based composites.” In addition, FlexForm says it would “gladly expand domestic purchases.”

Patagonia, an environmentally conscious outdoor clothing manufacturer and retailer that sells hemp clothing at Whole Foods, has recently agreed to add its name to the list of businesses that support California’s hemp bill. That list already includes Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (North America’s top-selling natural soap company), Alterna (a high-end salon hair products company) and Nutiva (a rising star among innovative health food companies).

Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50% over the previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year. European farmers now grow more than 40,000 acres of hemp.

Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have changed their laws to give farmers an affirmative right to grow industrial hemp commercially or for research purposes. California’s AB 1147 already passed the state Assembly in January and is expected to be voted on in the state Senate before August. Both the California and North Dakota plans for hemp farming require that planted hemp contain less than three-tenths of one percent (0.3%) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — which ensures no impact on drug testing and no psychoactive effect. North Dakota also prescribes criminal background checks, sets standards on the minimum acreage, and requires reporting of the location of hemp fields to law enforcement.

More information about industrial hemp legislation and the crop’s many uses may be found at www.VoteHemp.com and www.HempIndustries.org.

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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. 

BISMARCK, ND — The first in the nation to do so, North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 15 about rulesexpected to be finalized later this year that would license farmers in his state to grow industrial hemp under current state law. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in the North Dakota Heritage Center, Lecture Room B, located at 612 East Boulevard Avenue in Bismarck. Members of the media are invited to attend this historic stride towards bringing back hemp farming in the United States after 50 years of prohibition. The proposed hemp farming rules may be viewed online here.

At the hearing a spectrum of agricultural interests, including contractors, farmers, market experts and a certified agrologist, will testify about their personal experiences growing industrial hemp in Canada which expects to plant an estimated 40,000 acres this year.

WHO:

• North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson
• Shaun Crew, Hemp Oil Canada (largest hemp seed contractor in North America)
• Anndrea Hermann, Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, Agrologist and Researcher
• Tom Murphy, National Outreach Coordinator for Vote Hemp
• Local farmers and other industrial hemp advocates

WHAT: Public hearing on proposed North Dakota Hemp Farming Rules

WHEN: Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: North Dakota Heritage Center, Lecture Room B, 612 East Boulevard Ave., Bismarck, ND

In February, Commissioner Johnson, along with agriculture commissioners from three other states, met with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials in Washington, DC to explore acceptable rules on industrial hemp farming. The official meeting marked a turning point in the federal government’s relations with hemp-friendly policymakers who have been routinely ignored by DEA officials. This is seemingly an about face for an agency that has threatened to prosecute anyone who tries to grow non-psychoactive hemp in America.

While North Dakota’s proposed rules would require farmers to secure a permit from the DEA before their licenses would become effective, there is precedent for this as the DEA permitted a test plot of industrial hemp in Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. North Dakota’s proposed rules cover commercial hemp farming and include a number of restrictions to alleviate law enforcement concerns.

Some highlights of the proposed hemp farming rules include:

• Farmers must consent to a criminal background check
• To whom and how much the farmer sells must be documented within 30 days of sale
• The location of the hemp field(s) must be provided using geopositioning (GPS) coordinates
• Planted hemp seed must contain less than three-tenths of one percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have passed pro-hemp farming laws. Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50% over the previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year. There are more than 2.5 million cars on U.S. roads that contain hemp composites. European farmers now grow more than 40,000 acres of hemp.

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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. 

BISMARCK, ND — In a trailblazing move, North Dakota’s Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson formally proposed rules yesterday to license farmers in his state to grow industrial hemp under existing state law. With the backdrop of farmers across Canada planting over 50,000 acres of industrial hemp in 2006 to meet expanding demand for the nutritious and versatile plant in the United States, the rule-making process announced yesterday is an important step towards bringing back U.S. commercial hemp farming that was stopped nearly 50 years ago.

Commissioner Johnson will hold a public hearing on June 15 in Bismarck on the proposed rules prior to publishing final rules later this year. “These rules will implement state legislation covering the cultivation of industrial hemp in North Dakota,” Johnson said. “It is an important step in the process of enabling farmers to grow and sell this valuable crop.” The proposed hemp farming rules may be viewed online here.

In February, Commissioner Johnson, along with agriculture commissioners from three other states, met with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials in Washington, DC to explore acceptable rules on industrial hemp farming. The official meeting marked a turning point in the federal government’s relations with hemp-friendly policymakers who have been routinely ignored by DEA officials. This is seemingly an about face for an agency that has threatened to prosecute anyone who tries to grow non-psychoactive hemp in America.

Since North Dakota’s rules would require farmers to secure a permit from the DEA before their licenses would become effective, there is precedent for this, as the DEA permitted a test plot of industrial hemp in Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. North Dakota’s proposed rules cover commercial hemp farming and include a number of restrictions to alleviate law enforcement concerns.

Some highlights of the proposed hemp farming rules include:

• Farmers must consent to a criminal background check, including fingerprints
• To whom and how much the farmer sells must be documented within 30 days of sale
• The location of the hemp field(s) must be provided using geopositioning (GPS) coordinates
• Planted hemp seed must contain less than three-tenths of one percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

“We are pleased that North Dakota is pursuing a common sense hemp policy by issuing hemp farming regulations,” said Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “U.S. farmers want to grow hemp legally like their counterparts in Canada, Europe and Asia. Many of hemp’s uses, such as in foods, animal bedding, biofuel, paper and composites, will become more viable if hemp is treated like other crops. How can a raw material that’s legal to import, to sell, to eat and to use in all kinds of everyday products not be legal for farmers in America to grow? No other agricultural commodity is restricted to just importation,” said Steenstra.

Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have passed pro-hemp farming laws. Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50% over the previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year. There are more than 2.5 million cars on U.S. roads that contain hemp composites. Hemp cultivation in Canada is expected to exceed 50,000 acres in 2006, while European farmers now grow more than 40,000 acres.

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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.