Dear Reader,
Last week, Maine's House passed LD
1159 without objection and the Senate
later passed it by a vote of 25
to 10. The bill was Passed To Be Enacted
by the House and Senate this week. LD 1159
would establish a licensing regime for
farming industrial hemp. Maine previously
passed a study bill and has defined
industrial hemp in the law.
The State of Oregon is also on the verge of
passing industrial hemp legislation. If the
Oregon bill succeeds it would join fifteen
others that have passed hemp bills.
As many of you know, since 1937, this highly
versatile crop (uses include food, fuel,
building material, textile, and energy to
name a few) has been linked — via the
Marijuana Tax Act — to the recreational
and medicinal strains of the same species:
Cannabis sativa L. But make no
mistake, they are genetically distinct and
nothing like the other.
The battle has been long. The last legal hemp
crop grown in the U.S. was harvested 50 years
ago. In 1970, with the passage of the
Controlled Substances Act, farming hemp in
the U.S. was effectively outlawed. And since
then, the courts have offered no relief
claiming only Congress can change the status quo.
Nonetheless, with the hemp renaissance's
onset in the 80s — and the 90s when
states began introducing hemp legislation
— grassroots efforts have led to a
growing hemp ground swell headed straight
towards D.C.
As farmers find themselves mired in the
effects of the Great Recession, common sense
dictates legal barriers be removed to allow
U.S. farmers to add this cash crop to their
increasingly limited options as have
virtually all other industrialized nations.
Earlier this month, our new drug czar, Gil
Kerlikowske, told the Wall Street Journal
that the War
on Drugs was on its way out. Using this
logic, the end of the ludicrous U.S. ban on
hemp farming is a no brainer.
Sadly, most elected officials inside the
beltway have bought into the "hemp is
marijuana" paradigm and have become afraid of
their own shadows on this issue. Rep. Ron
Paul repeatedly introduces hemp legislation
only to be denied a committee hearing in the
House.
Gratefully, state legislatures have been
willing to step in and lead the way. The
tipping point appears near. All that's needed
now is for the Obama Administration to take
simple measures leaving it to the states to
determine their own fate regarding industrial
hemp. Yes, the ban on U.S. hemp farming draws
near — thanks in no small part to
federalism. Please make a donation today to
our General
Fund to help us continue our work and
bring hemp farming back to its rightful place
in America.
Sincerely,
Patrick Goggin
Vote Hemp Director
Maine |
|
Maine had a hemp farming bill introduced on
3/25/09.
An Act Relating to Industrial Hemp. This bill
allows a person to grow industrial hemp if
that person holds a license issued by the
Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Resources and the hemp is grown under a
federal permit in compliance with the
conditions of that permit.
In the House: The Bill was Read the Second
Time and Passed To Be Engrossed as Amended by
Committee Amendment "A" (H-356), Sent for
concurrence and Ordered Sent Forthwith on
5/27/09.
In the Senate: Roll Call #122, Vote 25
Yeas - 10 Nays. Read A Second Time And
Passed To Be Engrossed As Amended By
Committee Amendment "A" (H-356) in
concurrence on 6/1/09.
Last House Action - Passed To Be Enacted.
Sent for concurrence. Ordered Sent Forthwith
on 6/3/09. Last Senate Action - Under
suspension of the Rules Passed To Be Enacted
in concurrence on 6/3/09.
|
Montana |
|
Montana had a resolution, SJ 20, introduced
on 2/7/09.
Resolution urging Congress to legalize
industrial hemp. Introduced, first reading
and referred to Senate Agriculture, Livestock
and Irrigation Committee on 2/7/09. Committee
hearing held on 2/17/09. Third reading and
passed the Senate by a vote of 48 to 1 on
2/23/09. Transmitted to the House on 2/23/09.
Referred to House Agriculture Committee on
2/24/09. Committee hearing held on 3/17/2009.
Third reading and passed the House by a vote
of 89 to 11 on 4/02/09. Signed by Senate
President on 4/3/09. Signed by House Speaker
on 4/6/09. Filed with the Secretary of State
on 4/6/09.
Montana residents, please write to Rep. Denny
Rehberg and ask him to become a co-sponsor of
HR 1866.
|
New Mexico |
|
HM 47 is a memorial requesting the New Mexico
Department of Agriculture to investigate the
feasibility of state incentives for
commercialization of industrial hemp and that
Congress be requested to acknowledge the
difference between marijuana and industrial
hemp and to clearly legalize the commercial
production of industrial hemp. Companion bill
to SM 30. Introduced 2/19/09. Passed the
House by a vote of 44-23 on the 32nd
Legislative Day. Signed on the 33rd
Legislative Day.
SM 30 is a memorial requesting the New Mexico
Department of Agriculture to investigate the
feasibility of state incentives for
commercialization of industrial hemp and that
Congress be requested to acknowledge the
difference between marijuana and industrial
hemp and to clearly legalize the commercial
production of industrial hemp. Companion bill
to HM 47. Introduced 2/16/09. Passed the
Senate by a vote of 25-12 and Signed on the
47nd Legislative Day
Residents of New Mexico, please write to Your
Representatives and ask them to become a
co-sponsor of HR 1866.
|
North Dakota |
|
There were two new bills, HB 1549 and HCR
3026, in North Dakota this year. One is a
bill to amend and re-enact section 4-41-02 of
the North Dakota Century Code, relating to
industrial hemp. The other is a concurrent
resolution urging the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to allow North Dakota to
regulate industrial hemp farming.
A bill for an Act to amend and reenact
section 4-41-02 of the North Dakota Century
Code, relating to industrial hemp. Introduced
on 1/19/09. House: Second reading, passed,
yeas 88 nays 4 on 2/6/09. Senate: Second
reading, passed as amended, yeas 40 nays 1 on
3/6/09. House: Second reading passed, yeas 89
nays 3, Senate amendment Concurred on
4/16/09. Signed by Governor on 4/24/09. Filed
with Secretary of State on 4/29/09.
HCR 3026, a concurrent resolution urging the
DEA to allow North Dakota to regulate
industrial hemp farming without requiring
federal applications, licenses or fees.
Introduced in the House on 1/29/09. Referred
to the House Agriculture Committee. Adopted
by the House on 2/19/09. Adopted by the
Senate on 3/24/09. Returned to the House on
3/25/09. Signed by the Senate President on
4/1/09. Filed with the Secretary of State on
4/7/09.
North Dakotans, please write to Rep. Earl
Pomeroy and ask him to become a co-sponsor of
HR 1866.
|
Oregon |
|
Oregon had a hemp farming bill, SB 676,
introduced on 3/3/09.
Permits production and possession of
industrial hemp and trade in industrial hemp
commodities and products. Introduction and
first reading. Referred to President's desk
on 3/3/09. Referred to Senate Environment and
Natural Resources committee on 3/9/09. Public
Hearing held on 3/26/09. Click
here to listen to the Public Hearing for
SB 676 (mp3 audio 54:40, 49 MB). Work Session
held on 4/14/09 and 4/21/09. Recommendation:
Do Pass with amendments (Printed A-Eng),
Referred to Ways and Means by order of the
President and Assigned to Subcommittee On
Natural Resources on 5/5/09. Public Hearing
held on 5/13/09.
|
Vermont |
|
Vermont had a resolution, JRS 26, introduced
on 3/27/09.
A joint resolution in support of Act 212 of
2008. The General Assembly urges Congress to
Recognize industrial hemp as a valuable
agricultural commodity and that the United
States Drug Enforcement Administration allow
the states to regulate industrial hemp
farming without federal applications,
licenses or fees. Senate: Read first time &
placed on action calendar per Rule 51 on
3/27/09. Adopted on the part of the Senate on
4/14/09. House: Rules Suspended and Taken up
for Immediate Consideration, Read second
time, proposed amendment agreed to, the
resolution was read the third time and passed
in concurrence with proposal of amendment on
5/4/09. Senate: House proposal of amendment
concurred in on 5/6/09.
Residents of Vermont, please write to Rep.
Peter Welch and ask him to become a
co-sponsor of HR 1866.
|
|
Current Action Alerts |
|
Nationwide: Click
here to write your Congressional
representative and ask him/her to become a
co-sponsor of HR 1866, the Industrial Hemp
Farming Act of 2009. If he/she is a
co-sponsor already, you will be able to thank
them.
The following states have passed resolutions
or memorials urging Congress to allow states
to regulate hemp farming. Please use the
links below to write to your Congressional
representative if you are from these states.
Montana: Click
here to write to Rep. Denny Rehberg and
ask him to become a co-sponsor of HR 1866.
New Mexico: Click
here to write to Your Representatives and
ask them to become a co-sponsor of HR 1866.
North Dakota: Click
here to write to Rep. Earl Pomeroy and
ask him to become a co-sponsor of HR 1866.
Vermont: Click
here to write to Rep. Peter Welch and ask
him to become a co-sponsor of HR 1866.
|
Support Vote Hemp
|