(Marijuananews note: This will have Governor
Ventura’s support, which is a big improvement over the previous governor.
See
Minnesota
Governor Vetoes Hemp Research Bill; Implies State's Police Too Dumb to Tell It From
Marijuana
Being a farmer is more complicated today, now they will have to get used to being lied to
-- and about -- by the DEA. This places a little more pressure on the DEA -- and when they
lie to the farmers, it undermines their credibility a little more.)HEMP TAKES
ROOT IN SENATE COMMITTEE
See
More States Look At
Hemp As Farm Prices Remain At Lows;
DEA Will Have A Busy Season On The Lying Tour -- 3 Stories.
February 19, 1999
From The West Central Tribune
feedback@wctrib.com
http://www.wctrib.com/
ST. PAUL - A new farm crop, industrial hemp, took root in the Senate Agriculture and
Rural Development Committee Thursday.
The committee voted unanimously to legalize hemp production, even though the crop is
closely related to marijuana.
Law enforcement officials oppose the change. They maintain that
widespread hemp production would make it more difficult to enforce the laws against using
and possessing marijuana, since the two plants have a similar appearance.
The bill’s author - Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine - suggested that
the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was being too cautious. He said enough safeguards can
be incorporated into the law to protect against "shenanigans with illegal
drugs."
Hemp not a new crop in the U.S. It was grown here before World War II.
The crop fell out of favor after the war and only recently has been rediscovered.
Canada harvested its first hemp crop in 60 years last year. Hemp fields there are
tested three times a season to ensure that the hallucinogenic qualities of the crop are
low enough.
See
Cooking Oil And Flour
Produced From Hemp By A Canadian Company
Among Many Hemp Products To Be Available Due North This Year
Moe said an estimated 29 countries are growing hemp.
"It is an unbelievable product that has a lot of byproducts," he said.
Hemp is used in the production of cosmetics, clothing, shoes, paper, and car.
"As we know, agriculture is changing," Moe said. "Markets are changing
and consumer tastes are changing."
Sam Baxter, whose store at the Mall of America in Bloomington
specializes in hemp-based clothing, said the product line has become very popular.
When he opened his store, he said, his line of clothing attracted mainly young people
looking for something unusual. Today, his clientele also includes a lot of older people,
he said.
In one year, he said, his sales have increased 100 percent. His Christmas sales are up
35 percent.
"We need an alternative crop," Baxter said. "When Canada can make it
profitable, we know we can do it here."
Moe said hemp production is not a panacea for the farm crisis. It is an option for
farmers, he said.
"But when you look at the rural economy, you have to look at a lot of different
options," Moe said.
It is not the first time the committee voted for legalizing hemp production.
Moe introduced an identical bill last year. The legislation was approved by both the
House and Senate, but was vetoed by former Gov. Arne Carlson.
Sen. Dallas Sams, DFL-Staples, chairman of the agriculture
committee, said the legislation has been endorsed by the Farm Bureau, Farmers Union and a
host of other farm organizations.
See
American Farm Bureau Drops Opposition To
Hemp;
State Marijuana Eradication Program Poses Environmental, Human Hazards -- NORML PR
The bill was forwarded to the Senate floor for a vote. A similar bill is moving through
the House.
Copyright: Forum Communications Company 1999
The Hemp Page of Marijuananews.com is edited
by John E. Dvorak, Hempologist &
Managing Editor, Hemp Magazine.
John was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but is an eight year resident
of Allston/Brighton, MA, where he is the proprietor of the Boston Hemp Co-op and Managing
Editor of Hemp Magazine. He is a member of the Hemp Industries Association, the
International Hemp Association, and Mass/Cann NORML.
=-=-=-=-=-
Hemp Magazine
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Richard Tomcala, Publisher
hempmag@lconn.com
713-523-3199
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boston.hemp@pobox.com
617-254-HEMP
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