Lit_Match

House Approves Growing Hemp
04.06.07|Associated Press|By Norma Love

The House voted Thursday to allow farmers to grow hemp _ a close relative of marijuana _ despite federal hurdles to planting the controversial crop.

Supporters pointed out that hemp, which has a very low content of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has unfairly been characterized as the same as marijuana. ''You don't smoke hemp. A wheelbarrow full would only make you sick,'' insisted Hopkinton Democrat Derek Owen.

''Hemp is one of the oldest and most useful and strongest natural plants known to man,'' he told the House.

Peterborough Republican Andrew Peterson spoke briefly against the bill, urging the House to kill it.

But the House voted 190-76 to send it to the Senate.

Hemp, known for its strong fiber, is used in a wide range of products, including clothing, canvas, rope, fiberglass, insulation, automobile clutch- and brake-liners, cement and paper. It can be grown legally in other countries, including Canada.

''No one confuses water with vodka though they look the same,'' Owen said.

Hemp can be grown only with permission from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. North Dakota farmers are currently trying to get DEA permission to grow hemp under that state's rules.

''This is in the end an issue of liberty. Small farmers in the state need all the help they can get,'' Owen said.

The bill would let farmers grow hemp after obtaining a permit. The state would issue licenses to grow hemp and be the sole supplier of the seed. The state also would regulate the industry. People with criminal records involving drug offenses within 10 years would not qualify for a permit.

The House passed a bill two years ago to allow farmers to grow hemp, but the Senate killed it.

Sidebar: Facts about Hemp:

* Hemp is a close relative of marijuana; both are classified scientifically as cannabis sativa.

* Hemp generally is defined as cannabis sativa containing less than 1 percent THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana. The National Institute for Drug Abuse defines marijuana as cannabis sativa containing more than 3 percent THC.

* There are more than 400 varieties of cannabis.

* Hemp, known for its strong fiber, is used in a wide range of products, including clothing, canvas, rope, fiberglass, insulation, automobile clutch- and brake-liners, cement and paper.

* Hemp seeds are considered a health food rich in essential amino acids.

* Hemp seeds can be pressed for oil, which is used in skin lotions, shampoos, soap and cosmetics.

* In Russia, hemp butter is considered superior to peanut butter.

* Hemp is a stalky plant that typically reaches heights of 8 feet to 12 feet.

* Hemp was brought to South America from Spain in 1545. The first use of hemp in North America is attributed to the Puritans in New England, who used it with flax to produce cloth.

* Hemp can be grown legally in other countries.
___

On the Net:

Hemp Industries Association: HIA: Hemp Industries Association: Hemp Trade Group, Education & Industry Development

North American Industrial Hemp Council: North American Industrial Hemp Council

__________________
Donation links to NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) | MPP (Marijuana Policy Project)

BillieBudd

Well hot damn..good for the Granite State..I hope the Senate is as forward thinking as the House (not always the case). This will give upstate farmers a new crop, and once the rest of New England realizes that the sky will not fall, then, in Maine, up the The County perhaps some of those old family farms can stay farms, producing a viable renewable resource..I think I read somewhere that the soil and weather conditions that favor potatoes also favor hemp...once there is an abundance of the material, that good old American get up and go will kick in and this nation can start to use it in ways we cannot now imagine (biofuel??)...