Dear Reader,
Happy New Year!
As U.S. sales of hemp products grow, so does
industrial hemp
acreage around the world. China, the source of most
of the
fiber for the U.S. hemp clothing industry, is currently
cultivating nearly 2 million acres of hemp. Canada,
the source
of most of the seed and oil for the U.S. hemp food
and personal
care industries, doubled its industrial hemp
production
from
more than 24,000 acres in 2005 to more than 48,000
in 2006.
Industrial hemp had a better profit outlook than any
other
Canadian crop in 2006!
So, when are U.S. farmers going to get a piece of
the
action?
In 2006, North Dakota became the
first state
to begin the process of implementing a law allowing
commercial industrial hemp farming. In 2007, North
Dakota
farmers will become
the first
in the nation to receive state licenses to grow
industrial hemp. Significant barriers remain at the
federal
level, however. The
first is the cost of applying for a DEA license
(required by state
regulations). Each farmer must pay a
non-refundable annual fee of $3,440 to apply for
registration with the DEA.
Many farmers simply cannot afford such an onerous
fee. Thus, we have established a support fund to
help
those in need apply for the DEA license. It is very
important to the hemp cause that a good number of
applications are submitted this year.
Please
donate now to Vote Hemp's North Dakota
Hemp Farmer Licensing
and Legal Support Fund.
Last year, North Carolina joined Arkansas, California,
Hawaii,
Illinois, Kentucky,
Maine, Maryland, Minnesota,
Montana, North
Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia to
become the
14th state to pass a resolution or law laying the
groundwork for
commercial hemp farming. In 2007, Vote Hemp will be
focusing our efforts
on states that have considered but not yet
successfully
passed hemp laws or resolutions, including Arizona,
Colorado,
Idaho,
Iowa,
Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Mexico,
Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
In addition to North Carolina, California and Vermont
also
considered hemp bills in 2006. The California bill came
the
closest to victory, passing both houses of the
legislature, only to
be vetoed at the last minute by Governor
Schwarzenegger. This year, Vote Hemp
will continue to work in California, Vermont and the
other states
mentioned above to remove barriers in state law to
industrial
hemp farming.
In the 109th Congress, Rep. Ron
Paul introduced the
first-ever
federal
Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The bill finished the session with 11 cosponsors.
In the
110th Congress, Vote Hemp will reintroduce the
Industrial
Hemp Farming Act and try to get an industrial hemp
title
included in the 2007 Farm Bill. If your Member of
Congress is
on the House Committee on Agriculture
or
one of
your Senators is on the
Senate Agriculture Committee, you will
be an important part of Vote Hemp's 2007 Farm Bill
lobbying effort.
Vote Hemp is also going to urge Congress to exercise
its power
of the purse and refuse to fund DEA enforcement
actions
against law-abiding, state-licensed industrial hemp
growers. If your Member of Congress is on the
House Committee on Appropriations
or one of your Senators is on the
Senate Appropriations Committee, Vote Hemp is
going to
need
your help when the appropriations bills are voted on
this
summer.
Finally, if you enjoy reading hemp news
that
goes beyond legal and legislative updates, please
subscribe
to our Weekly News Update by clicking
the "Update
Profile/Email Address" link in the footer below and
adding "Weekly
News Update" to your Email List Options.
Thanks again for your ongoing support. We look
forward with you to a very productive and
progressive 2007!
Sincerely,
Eric Steenstra
President
Vote Hemp
PS Ñ Don't miss our new Vote Hemp logo hemp polo
shirt gift option, thanks to the generosity of
Two Jupiters. Check them out in the upper right
column, or click here.
