WASHINGTON, DC — On behalf of voters nationwide — including farmers, environmentalists and entrepreneurs — Vote Hemp is sending a survey to all presidential candidates this week to gauge their views on the farming, manufacture and sale of industrial hemp products in the United States. The results of the survey will be released on January 5, 2004, but embargoed copies of the survey will be available to members of the media in mid-December.
“The Vote Hemp 2004 Candidate Survey will be published online at the www.VoteHemp.com Web site and in print versions that we will distribute at events nationwide,” says Eric Steenstra, President of the Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to the legal acceptance of industrial hemp — the non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa plant. Candidates have until December 15 to review and answer four questions in the survey. Candidates that do not reply to the survey will be viewed as unfriendly to the millions of voters who purchase and use hemp products (over $150 million in U.S. hemp sales in 2000 alone).
The following questions will be asked of candidates:
1. Do you support allowing U.S. farmers to grow low-THC industrial hemp under a regulated system like the ones in Canada and the European Union and would you sign into law legislation furthering that goal?
2. The Bush Administration has attempted to ban nutritious and safe hemp seed products that are exempt from the definition of marijuana. These foods products include bread, waffles, energy bars, non-dairy milk and many other items that have been sold for years in thousands of stores. They DO NOT get people high or cause people to fail drug tests. They DO contain an excellent balance of essential fatty acids and protein. Do you feel that hemp food products should remain legal?
3. In April of 2003 Zogby conducted a national poll of 1,000 likely voters that revealed a majority support allowing US farmers to grow industrial hemp under a regulated system. Were you aware that 79% of American voters support allowing US farmers to grow hemp to supply US companies like Ford, Chrysler, and Ralph Lauren?
4. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has made the research of industrial hemp nearly impossible by denying or delaying permits to researchers in Hawaii and elsewhere. Would you support or introduce legislation to allow states to conduct research on industrial hemp without a special permit from DEA?
Hundreds of U.S. businesses are manufacturing and selling a wide variety of products made from industrial hemp in thousands of retail stores across the country. Products made with hemp fiber, hurd or seed can now be found in chain stores like Wal-Mart, Staples, Whole Foods Market and The Body Shop, as well as in more than 2 million U.S. cars by Ford, Chrysler and other major auto makers. Unfortunately, American companies have no choice but to import hemp from Canada, Europe and Asia. This is despite the fact that hemp grows well in all 50 states and the U.S. has a long history of hemp farming dating back to colonial times when George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their farms and promoted the use of hemp. A recent Zogby poll of 1,000 likely voters showed that 66% of Americans support allowing U.S. farmers to grow industrial hemp.
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Vote Hemp is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp commercially.