WASHINGTON, DC — Agriculture commissioners from four states met with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials last week 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 who still threaten to prosecute anyone who tries to grow non-psychoactive hemp in America.

Led by North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, agriculture commissioners from Massachusetts, West Virginia and Wisconsin met with DEA officials, including Joseph Rannazzisi (Deputy Assistant Administrator), Robert C. Gleason (Deputy Chief Counsel) and Eric Akres (Chief of Congressional Affairs). “The DEA people were very cordial, but they told us that the process of legalizing the production of industrial hemp will be extremely complicated under existing federal law,” said Commissioner Johnson. “The DEA has never responded to our earlier inquiries, but today we were able to present our case and learn from them what may be required in terms of regulations and safeguards.”

North Dakota and West Virginia already have laws on the books that allow hemp farming but are hamstrung because the DEA insists it has the authority to regulate the crop under the Controlled Substances Act and considers growing it to be cultivation of marijuana. However, the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) won a major federal court decision in 2004 that blocks the DEA from banning hemp products made from the seed and fiber of the cannabis plant, as expressed in the federal government’s statutory definition of marijuana.

“We are pleased that North Dakota is issuing hemp farming regulations after consulting with the DEA,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “We hope the meeting with the DEA is an indication that they are finally willing to discuss how U.S. farmers can legally grow hemp like their counterparts in Canada, Europe and Asia. Ideally the finish line won’t be limited to a handful of states, however even one state growing hemp would make a major impact on the availability of raw materials for U.S. hemp manufacturers. Many of hemp’s uses such as foods, animal bedding, biofuel and paper will become more viable if hemp is treated like any other crop. 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,” says Steenstra. “The DEA has the authority to allow North Dakota farmers to grow hemp. If the DEA is unwilling to give support to the new North Dakota hemp rules, we may well be heading towards another legal showdown.”

Meanwhile, later this year California and Vermont could become the eighth and ninth states to pass hemp farming legislation. Last month the California Assembly passed AB 1147 which has now been sent on to the state Senate. Later this year Vermont legislators will also consider H 455 which would define hemp and allow licensed farmers to grow the crop.

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 exceeds 24,000 acres per year, 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. 

BISMARCK, ND — North Dakota and three other states made their case Friday with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to allow the cultivation of industrial hemp.

“The DEA people were very cordial, but they told us that the process of legalizing the production of industrial hemp will be extremely complicated under existing federal law,” said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “The DEA has never responded to our earlier inquiries, but today we were able to present our case and learn from them what may be required in terms of regulations and safeguards.”

Johnson and the agriculture commissioners from Massachusetts, West Virginia and Wisconsin met with DEA officials, including Joseph Rannazzisi (Deputy Assistant Administrator), Robert C. Gleason (Deputy Chief Counsel) and Eric Akres (Chief of Congressional Affairs).

Johnson said the North Dakota Department of Agriculture is in the process of drafting new rules to control the production of industrial hemp, and that he wanted to solicit input from the DEA. The new rules would implement state laws passed by the North Dakota legislature from 1999 through 2005.

“We were told by the DEA that growers, processors and importers of hemp seed would each have to be separately licensed, and that the DEA would need to establish quotas for the production and processing of industrial hemp,” he said.

Johnson noted that the United States is alone among industrialized countries in banning cultivation of industrial hemp.

“The Canadians lifted their ban in 1998 and are now moving forward with large-scale cultivation of industrial hemp,” he said. “It is obviously a crop that could do very well in North Dakota and provide our producers with another income source, as well as a valuable rotational crop.”

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) is widely grown around the world and is used in the manufacture of textiles, paper and rope. Its seed is also used for food and feed. Oil derived from the plant is used in cosmetics, paints and medicinal compounds. Although the industrial form of hemp contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive drug delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana, the DEA does not currently recognize the plant as distinct from marijuana.

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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 — California business leaders and farmers are celebrating today’s passage of AB 1147, which clarifies that the cultivation of industrial hemp is legal on the condition it contains no more than three tenths of one percent (0.3%) tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC). AB 1147 passed with a clear majority of 44 votes in favor and 32 against, and the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. Final passage of AB 1147 could revitalize commercial industrial hemp farming, which occurred in the state up until shortly after World War II.

AB 1147 was introduced last February by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno and in recent months was amended and jointly authored by Republican Assemblyman Chuck Devore. “Industrial hemp is a bipartisan agricultural issue whose time has come,” says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps of Escondido which imports hemp seed and oil from Canada and Europe for their soaps and snack bars. “We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars importing industrial hemp, so we think it is time to give California farmers a chance to grow it for us,” adds Bronner who is also a board member of Vote Hemp.

From natural soaps to healthy foods, a variety of “Made in California” hemp products 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. Currently these businesses must import millions of dollars of industrial hemp from countries such as Canada, China and England. “We are very pleased that this bill passed the Assembly and congratulate Mark Leno and Chuck DeVore whose leadership was essential in passing this bill,” says HIA President Steve Levine.

Additional credit for passage of AB 1147 goes to the Organic Consumers Association, the Rainforest Action Network and the California Certified Organic Farmers, who mobilized their members to support AB 1147.

If AB 1147 now passes the Senate and is signed by the governor, California will join the six other states that currently have laws removing barriers to industrial hemp production or research (including Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia). To date, twenty-six state legislatures have considered industrial hemp legislation and fourteen have passed laws or resolutions, including the California Assembly which in 1999 passed a resolution declaring that “the Legislature should consider action to revise the legal status of industrial hemp to allow for its growth in California as an agricultural and industrial crop.”

AB 1147 would not conflict with or be pre-empted by federal law, nor would it interfere with the enforcement of marijuana laws. It would only allow farmers to produce the parts of the plant that are already legal to import under state and federal law: industrial hemp seed (and oil), fiber and woody core (hurds).

Nutritious Hemp Foods
Hemp seed is one of the most perfect nutritional resources in all of nature. In addition to its excellent flavor profile, the seed meat protein supplies all essential amino acids in an easily digestible form and with a high protein efficiency ratio. But most importantly, hemp seed and oil offer high concentrations of two essential fatty acids (EFA’s omega-3 and omega-6) in perfect balance. EFA’s are the “good fats” that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

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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. 

ST. LOUIS, MO — On Monday, Dec. 12 lawyers Bruce Ellison and David Frankel, representing Alex White Plume and his family of the Lakota Nation who live on the Pine Ridge Reservation, made oral arguments in the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in front of a three-judge panel to reverse efforts by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to place an injunction preventing the White Plumes from growing industrial hemp. In what has been deemed a sovereignty case that is very uniquely framed, the White Plumes planted industrial hemp on their family land for three seasons only to have it cut down and confiscated by DEA agents.

During the oral arguments it became clear that Judge Kermit Bye and Judge Arlen Beam were focused on two issues: (1) the irrationality of allowing the exempt parts of the plant to be imported into the U.S. but not allowing industrial hemp to be grown in the U.S. and (2) the lack of any rational permitting process by the DEA. While the Government’s case was made, Judge Beam commented, “It seems asinine to me that they can bring in the Canadian stuff and use it but can’t grow it.” Beam also suggested that it did not make sense that Congress would try to make the economy of Native American tribes more enhanced by casino gambling but not allow industrial hemp cultivation.

The White Plumes assert their right to raise non-psychoactive industrial hemp as an exercise of their sovereign rights pursuant to an Oglala Sioux Tribal ordinance enacted to secure rights guaranteed by the Treaties of 1851 and 1868 signed between the Lakota Nation and the U.S. Nevertheless, the U.S. government maintains that its asserted “trust responsibility” gives it the final authority to decide appropriate uses of reservation lands.

The federal government filed a civil suit against the White Plumes in U.S. District Court in South Dakota, despite the facts that the Lakota were growing hemp for seed and fiber when they entered into the treaties with the U.S. government and that industrial hemp is legally imported into the U.S. from dozens of countries to feed the explosive domestic and global demand for nutritious omega-3-rich hemp foods and ecological hemp fiber products. The DEA sought a permanent injunction to prevent the White Plumes from growing industrial hemp without federal permission because the DEA has placed a de facto ban on non-psychoactive industrial hemp farming in the U.S. by treating it as if the crop were the same as drug/medical marijuana. Late last December, the court granted the government’s motion for summary judgment, which led to the appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“The District Court completely ignored relevant Indian law, the treaties, the Constitution and the significance of the Myerle Papers when they granted the government’s motion for summary judgment,” says David Frankel, attorney and Vote Hemp board member.

“Because federal Indian law allows tribes to continue doing something today that they were doing at the time they signed treaties with the U.S. government, the Lakota have an excellent chance at reversal,” notes Ken Friedman, local counsel for the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and Vote Hemp, who submitted their amicus brief in the White Plume case.

A decision in the case is expected in 2006. To read about the White Plume case and download the Vote Hemp and HIA amicus brief, please visit our Legal Cases section.

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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. 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — As scores of leading American companies that make and sell a wide variety of consumer and manufacturing components made from hemp seed, oil and fiber meet in San Francisco on November 3-4, new market research shows that many of these companies are experiencing strong growth in sales. The hemp retail sales figures to be presented at the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) annual meeting demonstrate that retail sales of hemp foods and body care made from hemp seed and oil continued their explosive growth and are fueling a major expansion in Canadian hemp farming.

The data on annual retail sales of hemp food compiled by Leson & Associates shows a 50% increase, from an estimated $8 million during the 12-month reference period in 2003/04 to almost $12 million in 2004/05. During the same period, retail sales of hemp body care products grew by 15% from $35 million to about $40 million. Marketwide data on the much larger sales of hemp fiber-based products such as clothing, paper and auto parts was not part of this new research, but should be available next year.

The increasing consumer demand for hemp seed for food and body care continues to drive growth in hemp acreage in Canada, the main supplier of hemp seed products to the U.S. According to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), the trade association representing all sectors of the Canadian hemp industry, Canadian farmers planted over 24,000 acres of hemp in 2005. This is almost triple the 2004 acreage and 6 times the 2002 acreage of about 4,000 acres. Canadian farmers are reporting net profits of $200 – $250 per acre and are very pleased to have a successful alternative crop.

“Hemp food sales grew 50% last year but that didn’t result in one single acre of industrial hemp being grown here in the United States because of the Drug Enforcement Adminstration’s refusal to recognize hemp as distinct from marijuana,” said Vote Hemp President, Eric Steenstra. “Hemp is the only crop legal to import to the United States yet illegal to grow here. We have been saying for years that American farmers are being left out of this cash crop, and this latest research is proof that the federal law banning hemp farming is outdated, irrational and hurting American farmers.”

Some members of Congress are trying to change the federal ban in order to allow states to regulate hemp farming. This summer H.R. 3037, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005, was introduced but has yet to get a hearing and is unlikely to become law this year. Currently fourteen states have passed pro-hemp legislation.

Greater demand for natural products and organic foods has encouraged new products made with hemp, including auto parts such as car door panels, tree-free paper, clothing and nutritious foods. In 2004 the HIA won a three-year-long court battle against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to protect sales of hemp foods in the United States. “Removing the cloud the DEA put on the hemp food marketplace spurred a surge in the supply and consumption of healthy omega-3-rich hemp seed in America,” says David Bronner, Chair of the HIA’s Food and Oil Committee and President of ALPSNACK/Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. “Sales of hemp foods are protected, but U.S. farmers won’t benefit until Congress takes action to fix the law.”

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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. 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Members of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) from across North America will hold their annual meeting at the Ramada Plaza Hotel located at Market & 8th St. in San Francisco, November 3-4. During the conference experts will make presentations on the latest hemp products including composites for buildings and automobiles, textiles, foods, paper and personal care, along with in-depth discussion on legal and legislative initiatives to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp whose legal status only allows importation of the versatile crop.

The HIA will also honor Assemblyman Mark Leno on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 4PM for his introduction of legislation earlier this year that if passed into law would permit California farmers to grow industrial hemp. “Assemblyman Mark Leno is educating legislators about how California businesses could benefit to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars each year by avoiding costly imports of industrial hemp for products manufactured in the Golden state,” says Candi Penn, Executive Director of the HIA. “By giving farmers the right to grow non-psychoactive industrial hemp, California farmers could earn extra income while saving California businesses on the cost of raw materials.” Mr. Leno’s bill, AB 1147, is still in committee and is expected to be voted on in January. On the federal level, new legislation in Congress to allow U.S. farmers to grow hemp will also be discussed.

HIA member companies will review the trends and marketing efforts that are causing continued strong growth in retail sales for hemp foods and body care products. Results from a recent industry survey by Leson & Associates shows that annual retail sales of hemp foods increased during a 12-month period in 2004/05 by 50% to approximately $12 million per year. This follows annual growth of more than 60% during the 2003/04 period. During 2004/05 retail sales of hemp body care products grew by an estimated 15% to about $40 million per year. In 2004 the HIA won a three-year-long court battle against the Drug Enforcement Administration to protect sales of hemp foods in the United States.

12th Annual HIA Convention Schedule

Thursday, November 3
7–8 AM: Set Up, Registration, Exhibits, Silent Auction
8–10 AM: Opening Reception, Sales, Silent Auction Sign-Up
10–11 AM: Welcome, Election Results; New Board of Directors, Officers, Financial Report; Advisors and Attendees Introductions
11–Noon: Marketing Wholesale to Retail (with Lynn Gordon, French Meadow Bakery; Carolyn Moran, Living Tree Paper; Barbara Filippone, EnviroTextiles)
12–12:30 PM: Composites Sector (with Eric Steenstra, Power Point Presentation; Warren Benjamin, Flexform Film Clip)
12:30–2 PM: Lunch 
2–2:30 PM: European Hemp Report (with Don E. Wirtshafter)
2:30–3:30 PM: Small Group Network Sessions 
3:30–4 PM: Large Group Discussion (with Steve Levine, HIA President)
4-5 PM: Federal Legislation / Legal Panel (Green Business Conference Session with Eric Steenstra, Vote Hemp President; Adam Eidinger, Mintwood Media; Michael Greene, CDS Consulting; Patrick Goggin, Attorney)
7 PM: Awards Dinner & Hemp Achievement Awards (5 & 10 Year Pins)

Friday, November 4
8–9 AM: Reception & Networking; Silent Auction Sign-Up; Sales
9–10 AM: Hemp Farming – Canada & Romania (with Shaun Crew, President CHTA; Warren Benjamin, Video Clips; Gordon Schiefele, President OHA)
10–11:30 AM: Food & Oil – New Research & Market Report (with Gero Leson, Leson Consulting; David Bronner, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps; Ruth Shamai, Ruth’s Hemp Foods; Les Szabo, Living Harvest USA)
11:30–12:30 PM: Silent Auction – Winners & Distribution
12:30–1:30 PM: Lunch 
1:30–2:30 PM: Textiles – Market Study and Research (with Barbara Filippone & Summer Star, EnviroTextiles; Mike Sutherland, Peopleshemp; Rob Jungmann, Two Jupiters; James Roberts, Ecolution)
2:30–3 PM: Julia Butterfly Hill, Circle of Life (Inspiration & Motivation)
3–4 PM: “Hemp and the Rule of Law” Showing (New Documentary Movie) 
4 PM: Adjournment
4–5 PM: Tear Down Exhibits, Etc.

Registration is $200 for the general public and free for members of the media. Please RSVP to Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or present press credentials at the hotel. B-roll footage of hemp farming and production is available.

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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 — New market research obtained by Vote Hemp confirms that in the year since the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) successfully beat the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) attempt to ban nutritious hemp foods, sales of hemp foods have increased by at least 47% overall. The sales data was collected by the market research firm SPINS but under-represents actual sales due to the niche status of hemp foods. Nevertheless, the SPINS report shows that hemp food sales grew by at least $1.47 million to a total of $4.57 million from July 2004 to July 2005.

“Removing the cloud the DEA put on the hemp food marketplace spurred a surge in the supply and consumption of healthy omega-3-rich hemp seed in America,” says David Bronner, Chair of the HIA’s Food and Oil Committee and President of ALPSNACK/Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps. “By protecting the U.S. market for hemp foods we’ve experienced growth that is showing signs of holding up for another year or two.”

“Walk into any health food store and you’ll find an increasing variety of hemp foods,” says Alexis Baden-Mayer, Director of Government Affairs for Vote Hemp. “Americans are looking for healthy alternative sources of omega-3 to supplement their diets due to concerns regarding trace mercury in fish and fish oil supplements. Right now the U.S. marketplace is supplied by hemp seed grown and processed in Canada and Europe, but some members of Congress want to bring hemp farming back to the U.S. The increase in hemp food sales will only help our view that U.S. farmers should be able to supply the surging demand.”

At a Capitol Hill lunch on June 23 to mark the introduction of H.R. 3037, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005, about 100 Congressional staff feasted on Bahama Hempnut Crusted Wild Salmon and Fuji Fennel Hempseed Salad. The five-course gourmet hemp meal was prepared by Executive Chef Denis Cicero of the New York City-based Galaxy Global Eatery.

Hemp Foods are Safe and Nutritious 
Hemp seed is one of the most perfect nutritional resources in all of nature. In addition to its excellent flavor profile, the seed meat protein supplies all essential amino acids in an easily digestible form and with a high protein efficiency ratio. But most importantly, hemp seed and oil offer high concentrations of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega-3 and omega-6 in perfect balance. EFA’s are the “good fats” that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. This superior nutritional profile makes hemp nut (shelled seed) and oil ideal for a wide range of functional food applications and as an effective fatty acid supplement. Not surprisingly, hemp nut and oil are increasingly used in natural food products, such as breads, frozen waffles, cereals, pretzels, nutrition bars, meatless burgers and salad dressings.

Eating Hemp Food Does Not Interfere with Workplace Drug-Tests
U.S. hemp food companies voluntarily observe reasonable THC limits similar to those adopted by European nations and Canada. These limits protect consumers with a wide margin of safety from workplace drug-testing interference (see hemp industry standards regarding trace THC at http://www.testpledge.com). The DEA has hypocritically not targeted food manufacturers for using poppy seeds (in bagels and muffins, for example) even though they contain far higher levels of trace opiates. The recently revived global hemp market is a thriving commercial success. Unfortunately, because of their paranoia, DEA has confused non-psychoactive industrial hemp varieties of cannabis with psychoactive varieties, and thus the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing of industrial 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. 

WASHINGTON, DC — Vote Hemp, which advocates for industrial hemp in Washington, DC, and the Hemp Industries Association (HIA), representing over 200 hemp companies, are concerned by recent Associated Press and USA Today news reports alleging that lollipops “flavored with hemp oil” are “legal.” Hemp seed oil is in fact not used in such candies, and both groups are formally advising that last year’s federal court decision affirming the legality of hemp seed and oil foods DOES NOT cover candies or other products made with Cannabis flower essential oil. This essential oil is steam-distilled from the resin in the flowers and leaves of the Cannabis plant and/or from trace resin in the exempted portions of the plant, including stalks, and thus remains controlled and unlawful under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

Joe Sandler, HIA’s attorney and counsel in HIA v. DEA, in a February 24, 2004 legal advisory the HIA sent to its membership, clarified that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld legal hemp foods was limited to those made from hemp seeds or oil derived from the seed, but does not apply to the Cannabis flower essential oil used to flavor some candy products. (You can read the court ruling here.) “Cannabis flavored lollipops and candy should not be considered a hemp food under the exemption in the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. §802(16)],” stated Mr. Sandler. “Although Cannabis flavored candies likely will not cause a psychoactive effect and contain insignificant trace amounts of THC, they will be considered illegal insofar as they include fragrance or flavorings derived from the non-exempt trace resin of hemp stalks or other parts of the Cannabis plant.”

On February 6, 2004 the HIA won their 2 1/2-year-old lawsuit HIA v. DEA, invalidating the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) misguided attempt to rewrite the definition of marijuana to include nutritious and safe hemp seed and hemp seed oil. However, brands such as “Chronic Candy” and “Pot Suckers” are importing and selling candies flavored with Cannabis flower essential oil not covered under HIA v. DEA.

“While there is no drug effect from the Cannabis flower essential oil, we understand the efforts of federal and state law enforcement authorities to stop the marketing and sale of these products that prominently associate with marijuana and are not exempted from the CSA,” says David Bronner, Chair of the Food and Oil Committee of the HIA. “Such marketing and sale can only lead to public confusion about bonafide hemp seed and oil in safe, healthy foods that are intentionally not marketed as having anything to do with marijuana.”

“The bottom line is that these candies are being marketed solely to play off marijuana, and the Cannabis flower essential oil is a marijuana flavoring that has nothing to do with industrial hemp,” says Tom Murphy, National Outreach Coordinator for Vote Hemp. “These lollipops are, in the eyes of the law, pot-on-a-stick, and should not in any way be associated with nutritious hemp foods, no more than controlled opium essential oil fragrance should be confused with exempt poppy seeds consumed on bagels every day.”

Hemp Foods are Safe and Nutritious

Hemp seed derived from non-psychoactive industrial hemp is one of the most perfect nutritional resources in all of nature. In addition to its mild nutty flavor, the seed meat protein supplies all essential amino acids in an easily-digestible form and with a high protein efficiency ratio. But most importantly, hemp seed and hemp seed oil offer high concentrations of two essential fatty acids (EFAs), omega-3 and omega-6, in perfect balance. EFAs are the “good fats” that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. This superior nutritional profile makes hemp nut (shelled seed) and hemp seed oil ideal for a wide range of functional food applications and as an effective fatty acid supplement. Given that the FDA is warning pregnant and nursing mothers about trace mercury in fish and fish oil supplements that are the traditional omega-3 sources in the American diet, hemp seed and hemp seed oil foods are experiencing incredible growth in natural food stores around the country. The recently-revived global hemp market is a thriving commercial success. The U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing of industrial 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. 

WASHINGTON, DC — For the first time since the federal government outlawed hemp farming in the United States, a federal bill has been introduced that would remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp. At a Capitol Hill lunch on June 23 to mark the introduction of H.R. 3037, the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005,” about 100 congressional staff feasted on Bahama Hempnut Crusted Wild Salmon and Fuji Fennel Hempseed Salad. The five-course gourmet hemp meal was prepared by Executive Chef Denis Cicero of the New York City-based Galaxy Global Eatery.

At the luncheon the chief sponsor of the bill, Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), described how H.R. 3037 will remove federal barriers to U.S. hemp farming by returning the regulation of hemp to the states. “It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, competing in the global industrial hemp market,” said Dr. Paul. “Indeed the founders of our nation, some of whom grew hemp, surely would find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and co-sponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.” Dr. Paul was joined by five original co-sponsors, including Reps. Sam Farr (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ). The bill may be viewed here.

At the luncheon consumer advocate Ralph Nader called the U.S. ban on hemp farming “bureaucratic medievalism” because over 30 industrialized countries are growing hemp and the U.S. is the number one importer of the crop, but won’t allow domestic cultivation. A highlight video of the speakers may be viewed online here.

Representing farming interests at the event was North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “Industrial hemp is used in a tremendous variety of products, including food products, soap, cosmetics, fertilizer, textiles, paper, paints and plastics,” Johnson said. “Once the crop is legalized in this country, I believe science will find even more uses for industrial hemp, uses that will make industrial hemp a popular and profitable crop.”

North Dakota State Rep. David Monson (R-Osnabrock), a farmer who successfully sponsored several bills in the North Dakota State Legislature regulating the production and research of industrial hemp, said “industrial hemp production is on hold in North Dakota and the entire U.S. due to roadblocks in Washington, D.C. We have had tremendous bipartisan support for legislation we’ve introduced in North Dakota.”

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the number-one-selling natural soap, Interface, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial carpet and carpet tiles, FlexForm Technologies, an Indiana company whose natural fiber materials are found in 1.5 million cars, Alterna, a professional hair care company whose hemp products are beloved by Julia Roberts and other celebrities, California-based Nutiva Hemp Foods, and adidas USA which has been selling hemp sneakers since 1995. Although hemp grows wild across the U.S., a vestige of centuries of hemp farming, the hemp for these products must be imported.

There is widespread support among national organizations for a change in the federal government’s position on hemp. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) “supports revisions to the federal rules and regulations authorizing commercial production of industrial hemp.” The National Grange “supports research, production, processing and marketing of industrial hemp as a viable agricultural activity.”

Numerous individual states have also expressed interest in industrial hemp. Twenty-six states have introduced hemp legislation and six (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have removed barriers to its production or research. Rep. Paul’s bill will allow laws in these states regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp to take effect.

“Industrial hemp has become a lucrative crop for farmers in Europe, Canada and Asia, so farmers here are asking ‘Why are we being left out?'” says Alexis Baden-Mayer, Director of Government Relations for Vote Hemp. For thousands of years different varieties of Cannabis have been cultivated for non-drug uses such as paper, canvas, soap, food, building materials and recently high-tech bio-composites used in automobiles. Hemp and marijuana come from different varieties of the Cannabis plant.

“Because there are millions of cars on the road with hemp door panels, tens of millions of dollars are spent annually on hemp food and hemp body care, and hemp paper is being made in the U.S., people are asking tough questions about why the U.S. government won’t distinguish low-THC hemp from high-THC drug varieties. I believe this federal legislation will gain momentum over the next year as we spend time educating Congress and their constituents about the need for reform,” says Baden-Mayer.

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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 — On June 23, Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, a bill that would allow states to regulate industrial hemp while freeing farmers from federal restrictions on this versatile and profitable crop. Coinciding with the bill’s introduction, Vote Hemp and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps will be sponsoring a luncheon and presentation in the Gold Room (2168 Rayburn) from 12:00 noon to 1:30pm. Accredited members of the media are invited to attend. Please RSVP to adam@mintwood.com or call 202-744-2671.

WHO: Vote Hemp and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, featuring food from Galaxy Global Eatery of NYC; Representative Ron Paul (R-TX); Ralph Nader, Consumer Advocate; Roger Johnson, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner; David Monson, North Dakota State Representative; Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp; Denis Cicero, Author, Chef and Owner of Galaxy Global Eatery, New York City

WHAT: Presentation and hemp luncheon to introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act

WHERE: The Gold Room (2168 Rayburn House Office Building), Washington, DC

WHEN: Thursday, June 23, from 12:00 noon until 1:30pm

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the number-one-selling natural soap, Interface, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial carpet and carpet tiles, FlexForm Technologies, an Indiana company whose natural fiber materials are found in 1.5 million cars, Alterna, a professional hair care company whose hemp products are beloved by Julia Roberts and other celebrities, and adidas USA which has been selling hemp sneakers since 1995. Although hemp grows wild across the U.S., a vestige of centuries of hemp farming, the hemp for these products must be imported.

There is widespread support among national organizations for a change in the federal government’s position on hemp. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) “supports revisions to the federal rules and regulations authorizing commercial production of industrial hemp.” The National Grange “supports research, production, processing and marketing of industrial hemp as a viable agricultural activity.”

Numerous individual states have also expressed interest in industrial hemp. Twenty-six states have introduced hemp legislation and six (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) have removed barriers to its production or research. Rep. Paul’s bill would allow laws in these states regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp to take effect.

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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.