Please Write to Your Representatives in Congress
Ask them to become an original cosponsor of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011

Also, be sure to check out the Ron Paul Statement on Hemp History Week for 2011.

May 2, 2011

Let American Farmers Compete in a Booming Global Market

Cosponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act

Dear Colleague,

We invite you to become an original cosponsor of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act allows American farmers to grow industrial hemp to the extent allowed under state laws, repealing a provision in federal law that makes the United States the only industrialized nation where farmers are prohibited from competing in the booming industrial hemp market. The legislation is similar to HR 1866 introduced in the 111th Congress. The bill's text is below this letter.

In recent years, industrial hemp has been put to many popular uses. Grocery stores sell hemp seeds and oil, as well as food products containing hemp seeds and oil. Industrial hemp is also included in products such as paper, cloths, cosmetics, carpet, and the door panels of cars. Industrial hemp has even been used in alternative automobile fuel. Nevertheless, under federal law, all industrial hemp included in products sold in the United States must be imported instead of grown by American farmers.

Industrial hemp was grown legally in the United States for most of our nation's history. In fact, during World War II, the federal government encouraged industrial hemp farming to help the war effort. Since 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act's inclusion of industrial hemp in the 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 industrial hemp. Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported as food.

Please stand up for American farmers by cosponsoring the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. To become an original cosponsor, please contact Adam in Rep. Ron Paul's office at 5-2831 or Pilar at 5-5931 in Rep. Barney Frank's office.

Sincerely,

/s /s

Ron Paul Barney Frank

/s /s

Dana Rohrabacher Jared Polis

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 2011".

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP FROM DEFINITION OF MARIHUANA.

Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (16)—

(A) by striking "(16) The" and inserting'(16)(A) The"; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

"(B) The term 'marihuana' does not include industrial hemp."; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

"(57) 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 of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.".

SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HEMP DETERMINATION.

Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following:

"(i) INDUSTRIAL HEMP DETERMINATION.—If a person grows or processes Cannabis sativa L. for purposes of making industrial hemp in accordance with State law, the Cannabis sativa L. shall be deemed to meet the concentration limitation under section 102(57).".

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