The Illusion Of Industrial Hemp

Thank you for the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007.

RON PAUL, SPONSOR, COSPONSORS(11), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date) Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 2/13/2007Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 2/13/2007Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 2/13/2007Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 2/13/2007Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 2/13/2007Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 2/13/2007Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 2/13/2007Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] - 3/15/2007Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/8/2007Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 2/13/2007Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 2/13/2007

While it gives me hope for the future, I think we need a more effective strategy so we can use the hemp plant to solve our problems now.

Hemp is one plant, male and female in different grades. If it's used for medicine or fabric is not the point. Freedom is the point.

We the people have been outlawed to death. It is legal to have a gun but illegal to smoke a joint. Sometimes I feel like it's illegal for me to be alive with a reported 130,000 people killed by guns in America since the start of the Iraq war, including my x brother in law, Chauncey Bailey, the Oakland journalist murdered while walking to work one morning last August. We've outlawed the peace pipe, and wonder why we have a problem with violent crime. Rather than discuss problems over a joint or a hemp cup of tea with brownies, guns are promoted as a way to solve things in government, on television, in movies and OMG, in interactive video games for the children where the point is how many you shoot.

We've outlawed nature and wonder why we have a problem with the environment.

To fix the environment, I recommend reading Richard M. Davis' new book HEMP FOR VICTORY: A GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTION which is about using the old WWII program to clean the air of excess CO2 as it grows and replace toxic energy with 100% clean burning hemp biofuel four times more efficiently than corn.

We've outlawed a natural medicine, hemp, and wonder why we have a problem with health care.

Despite the heroic presentation of Dr. Lester Grinspoon before the Crime Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, US House of Representatives on 10/1/97 where he said "cannabis has never caused an overdose death", and the government ordered death of Peter McWilliams for using hemp, people are still being forced to take toxic medicine when a safer and/or more effective alternative is available.

To begin the process of rehemping the world, I'll play the word game since I must to co-create constructive change here.

Does anybody know what's up with the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007?

It seems to be lost in committee since 4/20/07 (yes, 4/20). What's really ironic is that it's the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, like they know about planting crops. Do they think the plant is going to explode and hurt somebody all of a sudden as there are no reported deaths from hemp comsumption.

Returning to the illusion of Industrial Hemp, here's the 411 on this year's edition, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 as documented at Thomas.gov, the key source of what's happening with bills in the US congress.

Please review and contact your elected officials, and anyone else you can think of, regarding restoring the hemp plant to it's rightful role in human development for its 50,000 plus constructive uses.

Thomas.gov notes on the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007.

SUMMARY AS OF: 2/13/2007--Introduced. Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed .3 percent on a dry weight basis. Grants a state regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp exclusive authority, in any criminal or civil action or administrative proceeding, to determine whether any such plant meets that concentration limit.

INTRODUCTION OF THE INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMING ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 13, 2007) [Page: E339] GPO's PDF ---

SPEECH OF HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2007 Mr. PAUL.

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act requires the Federal Government to respect State laws allowing the growing of industrial hemp. Seven States--Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia--allow industrial hemp production or research in accord with State laws. However, Federal law is standing in the way of farmers in these States growing what may be a very profitable crop. Because of current federal law, all hemp included in products sold in the United States must be imported instead of being grown by American farmers. Since 1970, the Federal Controlled Substances Act's inclusion of industrial hemp in the schedule one definition of marijuana has prohibited American farmers from growing industrial hemp despite the fact that industrial hemp has such a low content of THC (the psychoactive chemical in the related marijuana plant) that nobody can be psychologically affected by consuming hemp. Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food. The United States is the only industrialized nation that prohibits industrial hemp cultivation. The Congressional Research Service has noted that hemp is grown as an established agricultural commodity in over 30 nations in Europe, Asia, and North America. My Industrial Hemp Farming Act will relieve this unique restriction on American farmers and allow them to grow industrial hemp in accord with State law. Industrial hemp is a crop that was grown legally throughout the United States for most of our Nation's history. In fact, during World War II, the Federal Government actively encouraged American farmers to grow industrial hemp to help the war effort.

The Department of Agriculture even produced a film ``Hemp for Victory'' encouraging the plant's cultivation.

In recent years, the hemp plant has been put to many popular uses in foods and in industry. Grocery stores sell hemp seeds and oil as well as food products containing oil and seeds from the hemp plant. Industrial hemp is also included in consumer products such as paper, cloths, cosmetics, and carpet. One of the more innovative recent uses of industrial hemp is in the door frames of about 1.5 million cars. Hemp has even been used in alternative automobile fuel. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, competing in the global industrial hemp market. Indeed, the founders of our Nation, some of whom grew hemp, would surely find that Federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained Federal Government.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for American farmers and cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

END SPEECH BILL TEXT

Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 1009 IH 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1009
To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2007

Mr. PAUL (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. STARK, and Ms. WOOLSEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL To amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marihuana, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP FROM DEFINITION OF MARIHUANA. Paragraph (16) of section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(16)) is amended-- (1) by striking `(16)' at the beginning and inserting `(16)(A)'; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: `(B) The term `marihuana' does not include industrial hemp. As used in the preceding sentence, the term `industrial hemp' means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.'.

SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HEMP DETERMINATION TO BE MADE BY STATES. Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: `(i) Industrial Hemp Determination To Be Made by States- In any criminal action, civil action, or administrative proceeding, a State regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp under State law shall have exclusive authority to determine whether any such plant meets the concentration limitation set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (16) of section 102 and such determination shall be conclusive and binding.'.

SUMMARY AS OF: 2/13/2007--Introduced. Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marihuana." Defines "industrial hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant with a delta-nine tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed .3 percent on a dry weight basis. Grants a state regulating the growing and processing of industrial hemp exclusive authority, in any criminal or civil action or administrative proceeding, to determine whether any such plant meets that concentration limit. MAJOR ACTIONS: ***NONE***

ALL ACTIONS: 2/13/2007: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E339) 2/13/2007: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. 2/13/2007: Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 2/13/2007 Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 2/13/2007 Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 2/13/2007 Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 2/13/2007 Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 2/13/2007 Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 2/13/2007 Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 2/13/2007 Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] - 3/15/2007 Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/8/2007 Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 2/13/2007 Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 2/13/2007 COMMITTEE(S): Committee/Subcommittee: Activity: House Energy and Commerce Referral, In Committee Subcommittee on Health Referral House Judiciary Referral, In Committee Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Referral RELATED BILL DETAILS: ***NONE*** AMENDMENT(S): ***NONE***

END OF THOMAS.GOV POST

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT ALL AN UNCONDITIONAL REMOVAL OF ALL RESTRICTIONS ON HEMP. FOR OUR SURVIVAL, DO IT NOW PLEASE.

Richard Davis can be contacted at the USA Hemp Museum.

Click Here to see a review ebook copy of Davis' book HEMP FOR VICTORY: A GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTION. Hard copies are available at Lulu.com in both black and white and color editions, as well as the ebook.

Happy Hemp