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Dear Reader,
A lot has happened in the world of hemp since
our last issue. One item, the passage of H
267, the hemp farming bill, by the Vermont
House was truly stunning. The vote was an
amazing 126
to 9, well more than veto-proof. Passage
of the bill was insured by the hard work of
many people, especially the agriculture
policy non-profit Rural Vermont. If you are a
Vermont resident and you have not done so
already, please write
to your House representative and thank
them for passing H 267.
On the other hand, things are not going as
well in Wisconsin for their hemp study bill,
AB 146. The Assembly Committee on Rural
Economic Development voted 9-0 last year to
recommend passage, and the bill was carried
over to this year. The bill is having a rough
time getting a floor vote, however, and this
is the last term for the bill's sponsor, Rep.
Gene Hahn.
The best thing to do is to write a postcard
to Assembly Speaker Michael Huebsch and
Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald and
respectfully request that AB 146, the hemp
study bill, get a vote on the floor of the
Assembly. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Wisconsin residents, see our Action
Alert for more information and to take
action.
In North Dakota, prospective hemp farmers,
State Representative David Monson and Wayne
Hauge, have filed
an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Eighth Circuit of their case against
the DEA that was dismissed in District Court
last November. Scientific evidence clearly
shows that industrial hemp, which includes
the oilseed and fiber varieties of
Cannabis that would be grown pursuant
to North Dakota law, is genetically distinct
from the drug varieties of Cannabis
and has absolutely no use as a recreational drug.
All of this requires time and effort, and
costs money, so please make a generous contribution
to Vote Hemp today to help us continue fixing
the situation here in the U.S.
We need and truly appreciate your support!
Best Regards,
Tom Murphy
Hemp News Update Editor
| ND Farmers Renew Hemp Licenses |
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North Dakota Farmers Wayne Hauge, left, and David
Monson. Photo credit: Will Kincaid, Bismarck Tribune.
By Blake Nicholson, AP
USA Today
February 1, 2008
BISMARCK, ND — Two North Dakota
farmers who received the nation's first state
licenses to grow industrial hemp have been
granted renewals, though forces outside the
state will largely decide whether the farmers
will ever get a crop in the ground.
David Monson and Wayne Hauge had state
licenses in hand last year but never got
approval from the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA). This year, they are hoping
for a favorable ruling from the 8th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals, a change of heart
by the DEA, or action by Congress. None is likely
by Spring planting season.
Hauge said Thursday he paid his $150 license
renewal fee even though he sees no
possibility of seeding industrial hemp this
Spring. "We just wanted to keep the licenses
going," he said.
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| Hemp Foods Turn Healthy Profit |
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Mike Fata of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils.
Photo credit: Ken Gigliotti, Winnipeg Free Press.
By Larry Kusch
Winnipeg Free Press
February 12, 2008
As an 18-year-old, Mike Fata weighed 300
pounds and decided to go on a no-fat diet.
It almost killed him.
But while researching essential dietary fats,
he got excited about the nutritional benefits
of hemp.
Thirteen years later and more than 100 pounds
lighter, Fata heads Manitoba Harvest Hemp
Foods & Oils, a company with projected sales
this year of $6 million and customers as far
flung as Europe and Australia.
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| HIA Featured Member - Two Jupiters |
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The HIA has been a major part of my life
beginning in 1994. That's when a handful of
amazing people met in Phoenix, AZ for the
first time to discuss the possibilities of
industrial hemp being grown in the U.S. That
is when the HIA began in an effort to help
clean up our air, water and land. I think we
all left that first HIA meeting incredibly
energized and proud of our forward-thinking
ideas. I know I left believing hemp would be
grown in America by the year 2000.
Well, here
we are now 15 years later with global warming
at the forefront of our news, America still
has not signed the Kyoto Protocol, and
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has
vetoed industrial hemp bills twice in the
past two years. Who would have thought it
would be this difficult to help promote an
idea that cleans up our environment and
creates industry for our society at the same time?
All you can do is keep trying, and that is
exactly what I have been doing. Since 1994, I
have founded three companies in the U.S.,
Manastash, Two Jupiters and most recently
Jungmaven. In Japan, we launched Phatee in
2001 which has become a huge success. How do
I do it? I just keep my eyes and ears open
for trends and make clothing I want to wear.
When you see my clothing lines, you are
looking into my closet. It's what I want to
wear, and everything is made out of hemp.
You must keep it fresh. I design two new
lines every year and show them at six
different trade shows. Some new products
coming in 2008 are 100% hemp thermals, 100%
hemp tees made in the U.S., 100% hemp style
UGGS ("NUGGS"), camouflage hemp belts,
hoodies and polo shirts. Many of our products
are hand-painted, making them one-of-a-kind.
Everything we create has a message and deep
meaning.
You are invited to visit our Web
site for more information about our
product lines and new ideas.
I believe you
create the experience that makes a difference.
Robert E. Jungmann
Two Jupiters and Jungmaven Ltd.
President/CEO/Founder
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VT House OKs Hemp for State's Farmers |
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Vermont Governor Jim Douglas.
Photo credit: WPTZ-TV.
Stewart Ledbetter
WPTZ-TV
February 8, 2008
MONTPELIER, VT — The Vermont House of
Representatives gave overwhelming final
approval Friday to a bill which sets up
procedures for farmers to begin growing hemp.
Its provisions, however, hinge on a policy
reversal from the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA), which has banned domestic
hemp production since World War Two.
Hemp is a biological cousin to marijuana,
though it contains only trace amounts of the
chemical THC responsible for marijuana's
psychoactive effect. Hemp was widely
harvested into the 1940s, and the U.S.
government encouraged its cultivation.
The plant is used to make textiles, fuel and
food. Hemp seed oil is found in a range of
cosmetics manufactured outside the U.S.
"It's very popular," said Colleen Kinney,
assistant manager at The Body Shop in
downtown Burlington, referring to a hand
creme she has trouble keeping in stock. "It's
one of the most popular items we have in the
store."
[More...]
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