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Dear Reader,
Welcome to the eighth issue of The Vote Hemp
Weekly News Update! As you are probably aware
by now, AB 1147, The California Industrial Hemp
Farming Act,
was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Saturday,
September 30. Please see the Vote Hemp California
page for more information. While this is a sad event,
we learned much, and there are good indications that
a hemp farming bill will be reintroduced in the next
session.
In the Santa Cruz Sentinel story, "Governor
vetoes the legalization of hemp over the
weekend," Assemblyman Mark Leno is quoted as
saying "But
we're not through yet. We're not going to give up.
I'll probably try to introduce it again ... in
January." Assemblyman Chuck Devore is also
quoted
as saying that he will "try again next session" in
the Daily Pilot column "Political
Landscape."
There is good news out of North Carolina and North Dakota, though.
In North Carolina, H 1723, The Studies Act of
2006, was signed and passed into law by Gov.
Easley
on August 16. The act included the bill S
1572, Study Beneficial Uses of Industrial Hemp,
which creates an independent commission to study
the
beneficial uses of industrial hemp. More on this as
it progresses.
In North Dakota, Agriculture Commissioner Roger
Johnson released the
Final
Proposed Industrial Hemp Regulations (September
2006) and announced
that the deadline
for comments on the proposed hemp rules has been
extended until the end of the month.
You can help make hemp farming in North Dakota
a reality in 2007 by sending a letter in
support of the proposed farming rules. Please give
Commissioner Johnson the
support he needs to bring industrial hemp farming
back to North Dakota. Take action
now.
Please also make a
contribution to Vote Hemp today to help us
continue working to bring hemp farming back to the
U.S.
We need and truly appreciate your support!
Best Regards,
Tom Murphy
Weekly News Update Editor
| Natural Products Expo East Heats up Baltimore |
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Gourmet Retailer
October 10, 2006
Natural Products Expo East 2006, which ended its
three-day run Saturday at the Baltimore Convention
Center, was a testament to the surging popularity of
the natural and organic healthy products industry
with record attendance and exhibition growth. With
more than 1,700 exhibits, over 23,000 industry
attendees were the first to see the latest trends in
natural and organic food, dietary supplements,
personal care, and new healthy lifestyle
categories.
Our editors relentlessly scoured the aisles to
pinpoint the latest emerging and expanding trends.
Here are a few categories that caught their eye:
At the expo, hemp seemed to be everywhere.
Manufacturers are incorporating hemp into everything
from milk to bagels to nut butters. We were
particularly impressed with the newly developed crop
of hemp milks, packing a powerhouse punch of
omega-3
essential fatty acids and protein. These non-dairy
all-organic beverages are made from whole hemp nuts
and have a pleasant nutty flavor.
Standouts included
Hemp Bliss from
Manitoba Harvest, offered in
Chocolate (our overwhelming favorite), Vanilla and
Original. Each 32-oz. container is lactose-free,
soy-free, nut-free and cholesterol-free.
Living Harvest also debuted their non-dairy
alternative to
soy and dairy with their Living Harvest Hempmilk. Each
flavor Ñ including Vanilla, Original and Chocolate Ñ
boasts a rich, creamy, nutty taste profile that is
sure to be a hit amongst moms and kids alike.
More
hemp goodies came from
French Meadow Bakery,
including their delicious line of Healthy Hemp
products. We sampled the Gluten-Free Tortillas,
grilled quesadilla-style with organic cheese, and the
Healthy Hemp Yeast-Free Bagels topped with organic
cream cheese.
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| Governor Easley Signs NC Hemp Study Bill |
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Wilmington Morning Star
September 20, 2006
North Carolina lawmakers want to know whether
there's money
to be made in hemp, a plant related to marijuana.
A study of hemp's industrial uses was rolled into
a long bill passed this summer by the NC General
Assembly and signed last month by Gov. Mike Easley.
The bill sets out rules and subjects for more than
three dozen studies, ranging from health care to
taxes to day care funding. Nearly all have December
or January reporting deadlines. While many are
authorized, not all of the studies get off the
ground. And, as of Tuesday, no one had been
appointed to the hemp commission.
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| The Highway to Hemp |
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By Kelly Stone
AGWEEK
Grand Forks Herald
September 25, 2006
WINNIPEG, Manitoba Ñ A handful of lush, green
Manitoba fields are producing crops for a small but
thriving business tucked inside a Winnipeg
industrial park. It's a lucrative scenario that may
provide a glimpse into North Dakota's future.
The crop is industrial hemp. The Canadian
company,
Manitoba Harvest/Hemp Food & Oils, was
formed in 1998, the year Manitoba started issuing
licenses for hemp production.
This month, North Dakota moved one step closer
to
that milestone, and it is possible that hemp crops
will be on the horizon in the spring.
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ND Ag Commissioner Candidates Talk Hemp, Ethanol |
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By Dale Wetzel, Associated Press
Bismarck Tribune
October 6, 2006
North Dakota should push for less stringent rules
for growing industrial hemp, and continue efforts to
promote E-85 vehicle fuel, the state's candidates
for agriculture commissioner say.
At a debate Thursday, incumbent Democrat Roger
Johnson and his Republican challenger, Menoken
farmer Doug Goehring, agreed that a new federal farm
bill should include rules for farm disaster aid, and
improvements to the nation's crop insurance
system.
Johnson jabbed Goehring for what Johnson said
were Goehring's varying stands on whether North
Dakota should require all gasoline sold in the state
to be blended with ethanol.
[More...]
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