NEWS: Press Release 03.06.07 By a vote of 59-2, New Mexico has joined Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia, becoming the 15th state to pass a resolution or law laying the groundwork for commercial hemp farming. Read the press release.

Here's a brief update on what's happening in other states:

Keeping up the state's reputation as the strongest advocate for industrial hemp farming, the North Dakota legislature has produced five industrial hemp bills this session, two of which were already signed by the governor last week. Meanwhile, Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson continues to press the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to either waive their registration requirements for North Dakota's state-licensed hemp farmers or grant the farmers federal licenses in time for spring planting. Read Commissioner Johnson's letter to the DEA.

Last week, Vote Hemp National Outreach Coordinator Tom Murphy testified before the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee in favor of hemp farming bill HB 424. Read Mr. Murphy's testimony.
AB 684, a bill that would let farmers grow industrial hemp without state or federal licenses, was introduced on February 21, 2007, in California.

HB 1535, a bill to legalize and regulate the production of industrial hemp, was introduced on January 24, 2007, in Hawaii. It has been referred to the Agriculture, Judiciary and Finance Committees.

H 3305, a bill that would create a committee to study the beneficial uses of industrial hemp, was introduced on January 17, 2007, in South Carolina.

AB 146, a bill that would create a committee to study the uses of industrial hemp, was introduced last week in Wisconsin by Representatives Hahn, Williams, Boyle, Albers, Ballweg, Berceau, Bies, Gronemus, Gunderson, Molepske, Mursau, Owens, Pocan, Townsend and Wood, and cosponsored by Senator Schultz. It has been referred to the Committee on Rural Economic Development.
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Sincerely,
Eric Steenstra
President
Vote Hemp


For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 6, 2007

CONTACT: Robert Jones, NMHemp.org, 505-425-6825
robertjones2001@gmail.com

Hemp Farming To Be Studied In New Mexico

SANTA FE, NM — The ditch weed whose name dare not be spoken can now be talked about openly in polite society. Lawmakers in Santa Fe have acknowledged and declared that hemp is not marijuana. The idea of industrial hemp farming and production has been given the stamp of approval and can now be considered mainstream in New Mexico.

A memorial (HR49) has passed the New Mexico House of Representatives requesting and urging the New Mexico State Board of Regents to undertake a study on the viability of a legal industrial hemp industry in New Mexico.

In addition, the memorial urges the U.S. Congress "to recognize industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity, to define industrial hemp in federal law as a non-psychoactive and genetically identifiable species of the genus Cannabis and acknowledge that allowing and encouraging farmers to produce industrial hemp will improve the balance of trade by promoting domestic sources of industrial hemp and [that hemp] can make a positive contribution to the issues of global climate change and carbon sequestration."

Lawmakers urged that an "in-depth economic analysis address the benefits of a legal hemp industry in New Mexico and the long-term impacts of establishing proper permitting and licensing procedures. The economic analysis shall attempt to determine the costs and benefits associated with encouraging economic development in various areas, including textiles, pulping products for paper, biocomposites and building materials, animal bedding, nutritional products for livestock, industries related to seed extraction and resins for potential biofuels, lubricants, paints and inks, cosmetics, body care products and nutritional supplements."

"The legislature has spoken," says Albuquerque attorney John McCall, "saying that New Mexico lawmakers are on-board in support of industrial hemp farming, and encouraging our scientists and educators to look at the subject without fear of retribution by law enforcement or negative conventional wisdom. All of the benefits of hemp can now be explored in a legal forum."

"This will give people all over the country the ability to approach the federal Drug Enforcement Authority to demand that industrial hemp be removed from their schedule of narcotic drugs and be allowed to once again become one of our major cash crops in the United States," according to McCall.

According to the bill that passed yesterday by a vote of 59-2, industrial hemp refers to varieties of Cannabis that have less than three-tenths of one percent THC, and that it is not to be confused with marijuana.

Industrial hemp is currently produced in more than thirty nations, including Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Romania, Australia and China. The United States is, by far, the largest consumer of industrial hemp products. Our manufacturers import millions of dollars worth of hemp seed and fiber every year and annual sales of hemp foods in the United States is growing rapidly.

The New Mexico legislature has recognized that industrial hemp is a high-value, low-input crop that is not genetically modified, requires no pesticides, can be dryland farmed and uses less fertilizer than wheat or corn — both of which are grown here.

Eric Steenstra, the President of Vote Hemp, the leading national industrial hemp advocacy group, expressed his congratulations. "I want to thank Rep. Begaye and the states' industrial hemp supporters for making New Mexico the 15th state to take a position in favor of returning to commercial industrial hemp farming. I hope New Mexico's Congressional delegation acts on the overwhelming support the state has shown for hemp."

More information about industrial hemp in New Mexico can be found on the NMHemp.org Web site.

now, it's just a matter of getting the DEA to approve the license requests coming from would-be hemp farmers.

__________________
"But even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race."

- Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, Hero to the servants of big government, Racist War Monger

I did a little research on this. It is expected that 100,000,000 tonnes could be grown in the US. Crop are estimated to be between 3-8 tons/acre. Don't know what the price per ton is. Anyone know?

Besides the DEA, the hemp people will have the corn lobby to contend with.

Vi

__________________
Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Along with the big oil industry, the health food industry, the textile industry, the logging industry and about 20 others.

Henry Ford had a car made out of hemp that ran on hemp oil. And he hasn't been around for some time.

No Vi it's the Cotton Lobby.

__________________
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Uhhh ... I think the corn producers see a bright future in corn production for fuel, no?

Vi

__________________
Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

No vi actually the Brazilians have been 98% alcohol as fuel for many years now, and they have found that corn was not as efficient as using grass.
Sure it would be a nice short term investment.

But then again if they were to use hemp to derive the alcohol and bio-diesel it would be a lot more efficient that corn.

Being a person who makes alcohol as a hobby, I am here to tell you that corn isn't the first choice of people who manufacture alcohol.
Also if they were to use cane or beet sugar to make it for fuel, it would also be more efficient, and the Rum industry would also benefit from all the left over molasses.

__________________
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn