It's Time to Grow Hemp Support
An editorial on hemp in The Bismarck Tribune.

Anti-Hemp is Anti-American
A letter to the editor of The Bismarck Tribune in reply to their editorial above.

ND Farmers are Being Used & No Reason for Raising Hemp
Two letters to the editor of The Bismarck Tribune by Jeanette McDougal and John Coleman of Drug Watch International. The only reason to read these misguided letters is for context for Wayne Hauge's reply to them (see below).

Not Advocating Marijuana Use
A letter by Tiffany Thrasher, which ran alongside Wayne Hauge's letter, also in reply to the McDougal and Coleman letters in The Bismarck Tribune.

By Wayne Hauge
Letters, The Bismarck Tribune
January 18, 2008

[Ed. note: this letter is in response to letters by Jeanette McDougal and John Coleman of Drug Watch International.]

I am proud and honored by the negative comments by McDougal and Coleman, as well as being mystified by their statements, which provide little evidence to support their negative stance on industrial hemp.

I am proud and honored that McDougal recognizes North Dakota farmers as solid citizens; however, to state that marijuana has any correlation to the efforts by me and everyone I have to date come in contact with is sorely mistaken. I personally will have nothing to do with legalization of pot.

To suppose that marijuana can be planted inside a field of industrial hemp and achieve any degree of so-called recreational high is again misleading. Far more likely would be to grow pot inside a corn field.

By Jason Hysjulien
Letters, The Minot Daily News
January 13, 2008

So "Team Dakota" won't talk about hemp in spite of the product being supported by Agricuture Commissioner Roger Johnson and our own state legislature. The reason given that the DEA has spoken. One is left wondering if the DEA runs Congress or if Congress runs the DEA.

One also wonders why we even pay taxes to support state governments when their wishes are continually superceded by those of the federal government. Do our own state representatives not know what is in our best interests? What power do states even possess anymore?

It does not take a study from NDSU to find out the benefits of hemp, nor does it require a $50,000 fence to keep people out. One would assume people in the DEA, who are supposed to be knowledgable about drugs, would know about a thing called cross-pollination. The desirable female plant would be contaminated by the male. Besides, who in their right mind would grow a huge field of pot, even if it were possible? In other words, pot would not be grown in a hemp field.

The Cool Hemp company, located in rural Eastern Ontario, Canada, had its beginnings in 1997, a year before hemp became legal to grow in Canada. Intrigued by a magazine article about the many benefits of this newly rediscovered food, and an ad from the Ohio Hempery for a bag of hemp seeds and a little instruction and recipe book, Christina Anderman began experimenting, using the only legal form of hemp seed available at the time, birdseed hemp from China.

Christina was eventually joined by her husband Robbie and three sons in launching Cool Hemp non-dairy frozen dessert (an organic, Fair Trade ice cream substitute) and Cool Hemp energy cookies on the Canadian market in 2001. Their mission was, and still is, to draw people's attention to the many health and environmental benefits of hemp food and fiber, and to support small organic family farmers locally and in developing countries. With help from their many new friends in the organic, Fair Trade and hemp industries, they have succeeded in introducing thousands of people to hemp, through attending dozens of health and environment shows and events, and by selling Cool Hemp non-dairy frozen desserts (in Natural, Maple and Chocolate flavors) in about 100 natural food stores and 200 grocery stores across Canada.

Cool Hemp non-dairy frozen desserts, based on dehulled hemp seeds, are delicious and smooth due to the particular qualities of hemp protein and hemp oil that are ideal for making a non-dairy ice cream. They are nutrition-packed, of course, because of their high hemp content, with one half of one's daily need for Omega-3 and Omega-6 in each 1/4-pint serving.

The company is working on new products (frozen chocolate-covered bars on a stick) and new flavors (Mixed Berry and Fair Trade Coffee). They are also looking for someone to bring Cool Hemp into the U.S., so their friends to the south can enjoy the yummy and nutritious treat, too!