Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013

Take Action to Support H.R. 525, Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 Today!

Senators Wyden, Paul, Merkley and McConnell Introduce Bipartisan Senate Companion Bill to H.R. 525, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act Historic Bills Promise Economic Opportunity by Removing Federal Restrictions on Industrial Hemp Farming in the United States and Allowing States to Regulate the Crop 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: http://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, Wicked Hemp Footwear and The Body Shop, to make a wide variety of products. # # # Article published by www.votehemp.com 2/14/2013 Vote Hemp is a national, single-issue, non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for low-THC industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow this agricultural crop. More information about hemp legislation and the crop's many uses may be found at www.VoteHemp.com orwww.TheHIA.org.  END

Hemp Farming Legislation-HR 1866

Barney Frank and Ron Paul Introduce Hemp Farming Legislation - HR 1866

A federal bill was introduced yesterday that, if passed into law, would remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp. The chief sponsors of HR 1866, "The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009," Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX), were joined by nine other U.S. House members split between Republicans and Democrats.

"It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, from competing in the global industrial hemp market," said Representative Ron Paul during his introduction of the bill yesterday before the U.S. House. "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 co-sponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act," concluded Paul.

"With so much discussion lately in the media about drug policy, it is surprising that the tragedy of American hemp farming hasn't come up as a 'no-brainer' for reform," says Vote Hemp President, Eric Steenstra. "Hemp is a versatile, environmentally-friendly crop that has not been grown here for over fifty years because of a politicized interpretation of the nation's drug laws by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). President Obama should direct the DEA to stop confusing industrial hemp with its genetically distinct cousin, marijuana. While the new bill in Congress is a welcome step, the hemp industry is hopeful that President Obama's administration will prioritize hemp's benefits to farmers. Jobs would be created overnight, as there are numerous U.S. companies that now have no choice but to import hemp raw materials worth many millions of dollars per year," adds Steenstra.

U.S. companies that manufacture or sell products made with hemp include Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, a California company who manufactures the number-one-selling natural soap, and FlexForm Technologies, an Indiana company whose natural fiber materials are used in over two million cars on the road today. Hemp food manufacturers, such as French Meadow Bakery, Hempzels, Living Harvest, Nature's Path and Nutiva, now make their products from Canadian hemp. Although hemp now grows wild across the U.S., a vestige of centuries of hemp farming here, the hemp for these products must be imported. Hemp clothing is made around the world by well-known brands such as Patagonia, Bono's Edun and Giorgio Armani.

There is strong support among key 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 Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has also passed a pro-hemp resolution.

Numerous individual states have expressed interest in and support for industrial hemp as well. Sixteen states have passed pro-hemp legislation, and eight states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia) have removed barriers to its production or research. North Dakota has been issuing state licenses to farmers for two years now. The new bill will remove federal barriers and allow laws in these states regulating the growing and processing of hemp to take effect.

"Under the current national drug control policy, industrial hemp can be imported, but it can't be grown by American farmers," says Steenstra. "The DEA has taken the Controlled Substances Act's antiquated definition of marijuana out of context and used it as an excuse to ban industrial hemp farming. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 will return us to more rational times when the government regulated marijuana, but allowed farmers to continue raising industrial hemp just as they always had."

MI Hemp

March 2, 2009
New Group Advocates Hemp Production for Michigan Farmers
Environmental, other benefits follow new crop into state
HILLMAN, MI -- A group of citizens from across Michigan have formed a non-profit
organization to "Expand hemp as a natural resource for industrial and private enterprise."
The Michigan Industrial Hemp Education and Marketing Project (MIHEMP) says their mission
is to educate the public and state government officials about Industrial Hemp, by trying to
clear up myths and teach the facts through meetings, seminars and booths at public events.
They will also be working to connect consumers and vendors of hemp products in Michigan
and throughout the country.
Over the last two years Executive Director Everett Swift of Hillman has contacted his elected
officials at the township, county, state, and federal levels. In 2007 he authored an Industrial
Hemp Resolution and submitted it to the Hillman Township board, Montmorency County
board, and State Senator and Representative.
The Hillman Township board promised to have a public meeting on the resolution but failed to
follow through. The Montmorency County board tabled the resolution stating that it was "too
political." His State Representative at the time refused to sponsor the resolution but never
gave a reason.
His State Senator told him that Industrial Hemp is "a good idea but it is too controversial."
"My experience with elected officials and the public clearly indicates a lack of education on
what Industrial Hemp is and is not,” Swift said. "We import automotive parts from Canada
made from hemp to build our cars, but yet we cannot grow the crop to do it here," Swift
continued. "We need to wake Michigan up to the fact Industrial Hemp can be used in an
estimated 30,000 products, including plastics, food, clothing, cosmetics, building materials
and bio-fuels.”
“Anything made from petrochemicals today can be made from biodegradable hemp,” states
Paul Pearson, MIHEMP Director of Communications and Webmaster. “This includes paints,
varnishes, fuel and everything polluting fossil fuels began replacing in the early 1900s.”
One of the main goals of MIHEMP is changing the false impression that marijuana and
Industrial Hemp are the same. The sub-varieties of the plant dictate the best types of Hemp
for fiber, biomass and oil are useless for recreational value.
Swift continues, “If Michigan is going get out of this economic mess we need to work toward
that goal by opening up new revenue possibilities. Industrial Hemp can help us meet thatgoal and we need to join the 15 other states that have recognized this fact."
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world without a Hemp program, yet is the
biggest importer of Hemp and Hemp products in the world.
Several Michigan residents make up the rest of the MI-HEMP Board of Directors: Christeen
Landino of Eastpointe as Treasurer; Richard Clement of Lansing as Director of Minority
Affairs; Donald Barnes of Niles as Membership Director; and Detroit attorney Matthew Abel as
Legal Counsel.
They have many dues-paying members from across the state of Michigan.
Swift said, "MI-HEMP has a great Board of Directors. They are very dedicated, motivated,
and are well educated on Industrial Hemp. Each one of them has a unique talent and has
come up with some very creative ideas individually and as a group."
For more information on Industrial Hemp or MIHEMP, they have an informative Web site at
http://www.mi-hemp.org and a Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/hempresolution.
Email, phone, and postal inquiries are welcome:
Email:
Executive Director, Everett Swift: eswift@mi-hemp.org
Director of Communications, Paul Pearson: ppearson@mi-hemp.org
Phone:
Executive Director, Everett Swift: (989) 884-1139
Director of Communications, Paul Pearson: (313) 622-3429
US Mail:
MIHEMP
17535 County Rd 451
Hillman, MI 49746-9520

All MI-Hemp Members Receive 20% off all Wicked Hemp Footwear!
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