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Reno Woman Pursues Hemp Initiative Petition
Las Vegas Sun | 01/12/2005

CARSON CITY -- A Reno woman has filed an initiative petition with the secretary of state's office seeking to legalize the use of hemp to produce clean-burning energy.

Kathryn Whitman, a student at Truckee Meadows Community College, said hemp is one of the most efficient agricultural resources to produce methane to fuel the country's energy needs.
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"If hemp was grown on 2 percent of the nation's farmland, it could fuel the nation," she said. "And it's clean burning."

While hemp is frequently associated with marijuana, the agricultural product would have no value for drug use, Whitman said. Industrial hemp does not contain enough of the key ingredient in marijuana for such use, she said.

But the product is not legal for use in Nevada, which is why the initiative petition was filed Monday, Whitman said.

If Whitman and other supporters can collect the necessary 83,184 signatures by Nov. 14, the measure would go to the Legislature for its consideration in 2007. If it failed there, it would go to the voters in 2008.

It would be difficult to grow hemp in Nevada because of the climate, but the petition would allow the use of the product here to produce energy, Whitman said. It would also allow the study of hemp in Nevada as an alternative energy source, she said.

Other states have looked at legalizing the production of hemp, which can be used to make clothing, cosmetics, food, paper, jewelry, luggage, sports equipment, toys and a variety of other products.

In California, legislation that would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp was approved by a state Assembly committee Tuesday.

The measure cleared the Public Safety Committee 4-2, and was sent to the Appropriations Committee, the last stop before the full Assembly.

According to the Hemp Industries Association, the Marijuana Tax Act passed by Congress in 1937 began the era of hemp prohibition. The Controlled Substances Act passed in 1970 also failed to recognize hemp as distinct from marijuana and thus legal to grow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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"Those who do no harm to others should not be harmed by others..." Ethan Nadelmann
"Revolution is not a right, it is an obligation." John Locke
"Do SOMETHING besides argue emotions against the law, because it simply isn't a rational way to affect any type of change whatsoever. No offense intended, but your opinion on things is a moot point unless you take actions to change the law, rather than ramble about how unfair or injust it is." troublemaker_42
"'Just say no' to drugs, except those marketed by big pharmaceutical companies." Ignorant Politicians

 

killer12382

I'm surprized the DEA isn't all for industrial hemp. The pollen from extremely low grade and low THC hemp would help dilute the high level THC marijuana strains. And if you're growing large fields of hemp, the pollen would be abundant. The hemp growers would prefer to grow male plants as they are more concerned about the fiber and not the flower. The medpot grower, on the other hand, prefers the flower. Not a very compatable match.
Now it might not have a serious effect on indoor grow ops, but the outdoor grower would have some serious issues to deal with.
And then you have the bad genes trickling down into the gene pool.
Something to think about, people.

TheNewGuy

Its really just political. If hemp initiatives pass, it counts as a win for the "liberal hippies" and looks bad for the DEA. I think the current excuse the DEA uses for not allowing the growing of industrial hemp is that it would make it (sopposedly) easier for people to grow MJ outdoors because they could hide real MJ within a field of industrial hemp. You pointed out one of the reasons why that logic is flawed, but they'll still stick to that theory as long as it suits thier purpose.

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"Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." ~P.J. O'Rourke

killer12382

That would be the PERFECT hiding spot, wouldn't it? The key to making it work would be finding a way to keep those boys from messing with the girls. Not an easy thing to do.
I know it might be off topic but are there any experienced outdoor growers or plant biologists that might have a way to overcome that little problem of unwanted breeding.