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North Dakota First State to Issue Licenses to Hemp Farmers
by Vote Hemp (02 May, 2006)
Public Hearing on Proposed Rules Set for June 15
A farmer in his hemp field
Bismarck, ND - In a trail blazing move, North Dakota's Agriculture
Commissioner Roger Johnson formally proposed rules yesterday to
license farmers in his state to grow industrial hemp under existing state
law. With the backdrop of farmers across Canada planting over 50,000
acres of industrial hemp in 2006 to meet expanding demand for the
nutritious and versatile plant in the United Sates, the rulemaking
process announced yesterday is an important step towards bringing back
U.S. commercial hemp farming that was stopped nearly 50 years ago.
Commissioner Johnson will hold a public hearing on June 15 in Bismarck on
the proposed rules prior to publishing final rules later this year. "These
rules will implement state legislation, covering the cultivation of
industrial hemp in North Dakota," Johnson said. "It is an important step
in the process of enabling farmers to grow and sell this valuable crop."
The proposed hemp farming rules may be viewed online (as a PDF) by
clicking here.
In February, Commissioner Johnson, along with Agriculture
commissioners from three other states, met with Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) officials in Washington, DC to explore acceptable
rules on industrial hemp farming. The official meeting marked a turning
point in the federal government's relations with hemp-friendly
policymakers who have been routinely ignored by DEA officials. This is
seemingly an about face for an agency that has threatened to prosecute
anyone who tries to grow nonpsychoactive hemp in America.
While North Dakota's rules would require farmers to secure a permit
from DEA before their licenses would become effective, there is
precedent for this as the DEA permitted a test plot of industrial hemp
in Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. North Dakota's proposed rules cover
commercial hemp farming and include a number of restrictions to
alleviate law enforcement concerns.
Some highlights of the proposed hemp farming rules include:
-- Farmers must consent to a criminal background check including
fingerprints
--Planted hemp must contain less than three-tenths of one percent
tetrahydrocannabinol
-- Who the farmer sells to and how much is sold must be documented
within 30 days of sale
-- The location of the hemp field must be provided using geopositioning
(GPS) coordinates
"We are pleased that North Dakota is pursuing a common sense hemp
policy by issuing hemp farming regulations," says Vote Hemp President
Eric Steenstra. "U.S. farmers want to grow hemp legally like their
counterparts in Canada, Europe and Asia. Many of hemp's uses such as in
foods, animal bedding, biofuel and composites will become more viable if
hemp is treated like other crops. How can a raw material that's legal to
import, to sell, to eat and to use in all kinds of everyday products not be
legal for farmers in America to grow? No other agricultural commodity is
restricted to just importation," says Steenstra.
Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana,
North Dakota and West Virginia) have passed pro-hemp farming laws.
Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50 percent over the
previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are
estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year. There are more
than 2.5 million cars on U.S. roads that contain hemp composites. Hemp
cultivation in Canada is expected to exceed 50,000 acres in 2006, while
European farmers now grow more than 40,000 acres. More information
about hemp legislation and the crop's many uses can be found at
www.VoteHemp.com
About Vote Hemp
Vote Hemp is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of
and free market for industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is non-psychoactive
low-THC varieties of the cannabis sativa plant.
Vote Hemp depends on donations to support its work. Please consider
making a donation to Vote Hemp. Contribute Now!
Vote Hemp, Inc.
Adam Eidinger
Communications Director
Adam@votehemp.com
Tom Murphy
National Outreach Coordinator
Tom@votehemp.com
by Vote Hemp (02 May, 2006)
Public Hearing on Proposed Rules Set for June 15
A farmer in his hemp field
Bismarck, ND - In a trail blazing move, North Dakota's Agriculture
Commissioner Roger Johnson formally proposed rules yesterday to
license farmers in his state to grow industrial hemp under existing state
law. With the backdrop of farmers across Canada planting over 50,000
acres of industrial hemp in 2006 to meet expanding demand for the
nutritious and versatile plant in the United Sates, the rulemaking
process announced yesterday is an important step towards bringing back
U.S. commercial hemp farming that was stopped nearly 50 years ago.
Commissioner Johnson will hold a public hearing on June 15 in Bismarck on
the proposed rules prior to publishing final rules later this year. "These
rules will implement state legislation, covering the cultivation of
industrial hemp in North Dakota," Johnson said. "It is an important step
in the process of enabling farmers to grow and sell this valuable crop."
The proposed hemp farming rules may be viewed online (as a PDF) by
clicking here.
In February, Commissioner Johnson, along with Agriculture
commissioners from three other states, met with Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) officials in Washington, DC to explore acceptable
rules on industrial hemp farming. The official meeting marked a turning
point in the federal government's relations with hemp-friendly
policymakers who have been routinely ignored by DEA officials. This is
seemingly an about face for an agency that has threatened to prosecute
anyone who tries to grow nonpsychoactive hemp in America.
While North Dakota's rules would require farmers to secure a permit
from DEA before their licenses would become effective, there is
precedent for this as the DEA permitted a test plot of industrial hemp
in Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. North Dakota's proposed rules cover
commercial hemp farming and include a number of restrictions to
alleviate law enforcement concerns.
Some highlights of the proposed hemp farming rules include:
-- Farmers must consent to a criminal background check including
fingerprints
--Planted hemp must contain less than three-tenths of one percent
tetrahydrocannabinol
-- Who the farmer sells to and how much is sold must be documented
within 30 days of sale
-- The location of the hemp field must be provided using geopositioning
(GPS) coordinates
"We are pleased that North Dakota is pursuing a common sense hemp
policy by issuing hemp farming regulations," says Vote Hemp President
Eric Steenstra. "U.S. farmers want to grow hemp legally like their
counterparts in Canada, Europe and Asia. Many of hemp's uses such as in
foods, animal bedding, biofuel and composites will become more viable if
hemp is treated like other crops. How can a raw material that's legal to
import, to sell, to eat and to use in all kinds of everyday products not be
legal for farmers in America to grow? No other agricultural commodity is
restricted to just importation," says Steenstra.
Currently seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana,
North Dakota and West Virginia) have passed pro-hemp farming laws.
Sales of hemp foods in 2004/2005 grew by 50 percent over the
previous 12-month period. U.S. retail sales of hemp products are
estimated to now be $250 to $300 million per year. There are more
than 2.5 million cars on U.S. roads that contain hemp composites. Hemp
cultivation in Canada is expected to exceed 50,000 acres in 2006, while
European farmers now grow more than 40,000 acres. More information
about hemp legislation and the crop's many uses can be found at
www.VoteHemp.com
About Vote Hemp
Vote Hemp is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of
and free market for industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is non-psychoactive
low-THC varieties of the cannabis sativa plant.
Vote Hemp depends on donations to support its work. Please consider
making a donation to Vote Hemp. Contribute Now!
Vote Hemp, Inc.
Adam Eidinger
Communications Director
Adam@votehemp.com
Tom Murphy
National Outreach Coordinator
Tom@votehemp.com
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