The letter below is from Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY 2nd District) to a Vote Hemp supporter in reply to a letter asking him to become a sponsor for the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009.

Rep. Steve Israel
(D-NY 2nd District)

If you receive a reply from one of your elected representatives please email a copy of it to us at hempinfo@votehemp.com. It will help with our lobbying efforts to know the contents of these letters. We will not publish your name or address and hold them in confidence.

October 19, 2009

Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me in support of hemp farming. I appreciate your thoughts on this matter and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, on April 2, 2009, Representative Ron Paul of Texas introduced H.R. 1866, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009. This legislation would exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana and grant states the authority to determine whether a plant meets the concentration limit, according to the Controlled Substances Act. This bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, where it awaits further consideration.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to do so again on any matter of concern. You can also visit my website (http://house.gov/israel) to learn more about the issues important to you.

Sincerely,

Steve Israel
Member of Congress