hemp

[plantsnobin]

According to the ATTRA news, Vermont has passed a bill that will allow hemp to be grown as soon as the Federal law changes. Says Nevada is the other state that has already changed their laws to be ready for the Fed change. Apparently they expect that sometime soon?

[americangardener]

www.votehemp.com/state.html

That is encouraging news Karen.. now the only thing standing in the way of industrialized hemp is the federal government. It really makes no sense at all how anyone in power can be so pig-headed about taking something that clearly dosen't belong on the controlled substance schedule off of there. Even Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food.

So, i guess now the next thing that we need to happen is for congress to pass the H.R. 1009 "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007"

On February 13, 2007 Rep. Ron Paul introduced H.R. 1009, the "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007," with nine original co-sponsors: Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Jim McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

thomas.loc.gov/

Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)

HR 1009 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 1009
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 13, 2007
Mr. PAUL (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. STARK, and Ms. WOOLSEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP FROM DEFINITION OF MARIHUANA.

Paragraph (16) of section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(16)) is amended--

(1) by striking `(16)' at the beginning and inserting `(16)(A)'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(B) The term `marihuana' does not include industrial hemp. As used in the preceding sentence, the term `industrial hemp' means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.'.

SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HEMP DETERMINATION TO BE MADE BY STATES.

Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(i) Industrial Hemp Determination To Be Made by States- In any criminal action, civil action, or administrative proceeding, a State regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp under State law shall have exclusive authority to determine whether any such plant meets the concentration limitation set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (16) of section 102 and such determination shall be conclusive and binding.'.

AND HERE'S THE SPEACH FROM RON PAUL:

HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2007
Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act requires the Federal Government to respect State laws allowing the growing of industrial hemp.
Seven States--Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia--allow industrial hemp production or research in accord with State laws. However, Federal law is standing in the way of farmers in these States growing what may be a very profitable crop. Because of current federal law, all hemp included in products sold in the United States must be imported instead of being grown by American farmers.
Since 1970, the Federal Controlled Substances Act's inclusion of industrial hemp in the schedule one definition of marijuana has prohibited American farmers from growing industrial hemp despite the fact that industrial hemp has such a low content of THC (the psychoactive chemical in the related marijuana plant) that nobody can be psychologically affected by consuming hemp. Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food.
The United States is the only industrialized nation that prohibits industrial hemp cultivation. The Congressional Research Service has noted that hemp is grown as an established agricultural commodity in over 30 nations in Europe, Asia, and North America. My Industrial Hemp Farming Act will relieve this unique restriction on American farmers and allow them to grow industrial hemp in accord with State law.
Industrial hemp is a crop that was grown legally throughout the United States for most of our Nation's history. In fact, during World War II, the Federal Government actively encouraged American farmers to grow industrial hemp to help the war effort. The Department of Agriculture even produced a film ``Hemp for Victory'' encouraging the plant's cultivation.
In recent years, the hemp plant has been put to many popular uses in foods and in industry. Grocery stores sell hemp seeds and oil as well as food products containing oil and seeds from the hemp plant. Industrial hemp is also included in consumer products such as paper, cloths, cosmetics, and carpet. One of the more innovative recent uses of industrial hemp is in the door frames of about 1.5 million cars. Hemp has even been used in alternative automobile fuel.
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. Indeed, the founders of our Nation, some of whom grew hemp, would surely 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 cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

AT LEAST IT SEEMS THAT SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO USE HEMP AGAIN.

[johno]

Well, I know it would be a 'Godsend' to Arkansas and other poor states. There is a lot of lean land that could start being profitable if industrial hemp farming were allowed. It could really give the national econnomy a shot in the arm.

[Alan]

This is excellent news! Let's hope and pray that this happens in our lifetime! Now if we can convince those suit wearing pansys to get over their inside the box thinking we might have a legitimate chance. Nothing said, I've done some breeding with hemps close cousin, mind you not my crop and not on my property, but I hear the results are rather astonishing and somewhere floating around out there is a "Hip-Gnosis" strain.

[winter unfazed]

There is also North Dakota, whose farmers are demanding legalization of hemp after watching the results of hemp legalization in neighbouring Alberta and Saskatchewan.

I have a forthcoming article about the subject; it should appear in the Heirloom Gardener, in either the Autumn or the Winter issue.

[Alan]

WU, would you be interested in posting that article here sometime after it comes out, I would like to read it myself.

[flowerpower]

That should be a good article. I'll look foward to reading it.