Petition To Legalize Hemp (and Marijuana) Circulating In Oregon

Supporters Say Measure Would Save Money

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Petition carriers need 90,000 signatures to put a measure legalizing marijuana in Oregon on the 2012 general election ballot.Supporters say Oregon’s Secretary of State approved the form of the petition last week, and they hope to convince Oregonians to sign it starting today.Initiative petitioners say marijuana would be taxed and sold through state-licensed stores. The measure would also permit adults to grow their own marijuana for personal use.The chief petitioners say the measure allows farmers to grow cannabis hemp for other uses, such as diesel fuel, fiber or food.Supporters say the measure would raise $140 million from taxing commercial sales of marijuana and save more than $61 million in police, jail and court time now spent on marijuana cases.“We’re wasting a lot of money right now on prohibition of marijuana. We’re losing a lot of industrial benefits from not having hemp," says campaign manager Jennifer Alexander. 

Supporters of what they call the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act say it would not change Oregon's existing laws regarding medical marijuana and driving under the influence of intoxicants. 

Petitioners have until July 2012 to collect the required signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

Illinois Hemp Bill Passes Committee

Springfield, IL--(ENEWSPF)--March 28, 2011.

The Illinois Industrial Hemp Act passed a House Agriculture and Conservation Committee  by a vote of 11-2.  The bill would allow farmers in Illinois to grow hemp once again and would define hemp as being varieties of the cannabis genus whose THC content is below 0.3%

The bill will now await a floor vote by the Illinois House of Representatives.

To read the full text of the bill go to this link or go to the Illinois General Assembly website, http://www.ilga.gov and search for HB 1383.

Source: illinoisnormal.org

Art by Banksy

I came across this illustration by Banksy the other day and thought it was a brilliant variation of the famous quote by V. I. Lenin and an excellent commentary on the US Government's destructive anti-cannabis policies.

Let's acknowledge that the war on drugs is a failure — and legalize marijuana (and hemp)

Column by Johnny Hickman

Posted March 23, 2011 at 7:26 p.m.

Everyone knows that the American drug war is a total failure.

Having spent $1 trillion in the last 40 years, we now find that marijuana is cheaper, more potent and readily available to anyone who wants it. During the past 10 years, polls show that public school students consistently say that marijuana is easier to get than cigarettes or alcohol. It is high time to end the insanity. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol and it won't work with drugs either.

The drug war is all about greed, power and control. The government and law enforcement lose more credibility every day that they maintain their irrational, narrow-minded stance against legalization. We the people need to stand up and speak out for full legalization of marijuana and industrial hemp as soon as possible.

Marijuana should be legalized for several reasons. We need cannabis hemp for medicine, food, fuel and fiber. Marijuana is good medicine for many ailments and lately has been shown effective against cancer.

We should stand up for our rights. We should be allowed to light up a joint for relaxation and recreation. It's no different from the average Joe kicking back and having a couple of beers after a long day's work. What we do in private is our own business, not Big Brother's. No one has died from a marijuana overdose; it is not toxic to the human body. Alcohol and tobacco are bad for you, and addictive too, but they are legal. Think about how many people die each year because of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Cannabis is no more addictive than coffee.

Ever wonder why marijuana is illegal? Greed, yellow journalism, racism, outright lies and vicious, misleading propaganda were used by William Randolph Hearst (newspaper publication, timber and paper industry), the DuPonts (plastics made from oil), the Rockefellers (big oil) and our government to get hemp banned in the first place. They were afraid of the competition then and they still are. The drug czar when the federal government declared war on marijuana in 1937, Harry Anslinger, used lies, racism and underhanded politics to further the agenda of the rich and powerful. Every drug czar since then has followed in Anslinger's footsteps. Nowadays, $18 billion is wasted each year on marijuana prohibition. Our government forces marijuana prohibition on other nations, causing hardship and increased crime.

Want to talk about addiction? Our government is addicted to the profits from the drug war. It is a sad fact that our own government no longer has the best interests of the American people at heart.
The federal government's insistence that we must not grow hemp because there is no way to discern industrial hemp from marijuana is absurd; they have different growth habits and appearance. Inspectors in other nations that do grow industrial hemp have no problem figuring out the difference.
The powers that be who are pulling the strings that control our federal government are doing everything they can to keep knowledge about the benefits of marijuana and industrial hemp from you because Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Lumber, Big Law Enforcement, Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol realize that their cash cow (the lost drug war) is at stake.

Big Pharma knows marijuana is good medicine but doesn't want you to have it unless they can control it; they're after the money. But they can't patent a natural plant. Many medical organizations agree that marijuana is good medicine for a wide variety of ailments.

Big Brother knows that legalization would put the power and the money back in the hands of the people and they hate the very thought of that. They are willing to be heavy-handed, to use blackmail and to lie to the American public to keep marijuana from being legalized. All those hundreds of thousands of men and women (many of them very young) who have been incarcerated for cannabis should be released so that they can resume their productive lives.

Within three or four years, we could be making enough alcohol from hemp to allow us to almost completely quit using gasoline. Fuel prices would go way down. Hemp oil is an excellent lubricant. That's why Big Oil fears cannabis hemp mightily. It would cause them to lose their stranglehold on us and nations of the world.

Hemp will grow anywhere, from deserts to mountains to rain forests. It is much better for our environment than other crops such as cotton and makes much better products. Small farmers would have a way to make a better living. We could stop cutting down our old growth forests.

The huge amount of money being made by organized criminals will suddenly be reduced significantly; crime would decrease; Mexico finally would be allowed to legalize. The drug cartels in Mexico would lose a huge portion of their business overnight.

Cannabis hemp is the world's premier renewable resource. Legalize it, regulate it, tax it at a reasonable rate. Keep it illegal for minors, just like alcohol. This new income would provide a much-needed boost to our economy.

It is no longer a question of if cannabis will be legalized but when. Recent CNN polls show that close to 95 percent of Americans are in favor of legalizing medical marijuana and a Pew poll shows that 46 percent of Americans favor full legalization of marijuana and that support is growing.

If you are not sure whether cannabis should be legalized, inform yourself; study everything you can find out about it, then you will be convinced that legalization is the right thing to do. God put this herb on the earth for us to use. Let's use it wisely.

UCLA Sustainability to Host Panel Discussion on 'Hemp History Week' and the Case for Hemp Farming on March 29 at Broad Art Center

Leading Vegan Nutrition Expert and Business Leaders to Discuss Environmental and Health

Benefits of Industrial Hemp in Relation to New CA Hemp Farming Bill SB 676

LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, March 29 from 7pm-9pm, UCLA Sustainability will host a panel discussion at the Broad Art Center entitled, 'Hemp for Performance, Profit and the Planet: Elite Athletes andBusiness Leaders Make the Case for Industrial Hemp Farming.' The California legislature is currently debating SB-676, which would allow the return of industrial hemp farming to the state. In this dynamic discussion, Brendan Brazier (Ironman triathlete, formulator of VEGA, best-selling author and plant-based nutrition expert); John Roulac (Founder and CEO of leading natural foods brand Nutiva); and Steve Levine (President of the Hemp Industries Association) will examine the role that hemp can play in creating a healthy future.

'Hemp for Performance, Profit and the Planet' is taking place one month in advance of Hemp History Week

(May  2nd -8th, 2011),  a  nationwide  public  education  campaign  that  seeks  to  raise  awareness  of  the  many benefits of industrial hemp and  advocate for changes to  federal and state laws to allow  farmers to grow  the crop on American soil once again.

"Brendan Brazier and John Roulac have promoted the benefits of hemp through elite sports, business, writing and advocacy.Steve Levine has worked as an activist for many years to show policy makers that it's not just consumers who benefit from hemp. Industrial hemp is a low-input, fast growing and profitable crop that is thriving in Canada and offers hope for revitalizing America's farms," explains UCLA Sustainability Coordinator Nurit Katz, who will moderate the event.

In addition to the panel discussion, leading natural products companies such as Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Nutiva, Nature's Path, Manitoba Harvest, Sequel Naturals, French Meadow, Merry Hempsters and Living Harvest will set up tables on campus near the Broad Art Center to offer samples of hemp body care products and delicious hemp foods, along with educational information on the benefits of industrial hemp.

What: Educational event and panel discussion on the benefits of hemp and industrial hemp farming along with sampling of leading hemp food products at UCLA campus.

Why: To promote Hemp History Week 2011, educate on the health benefits of hemp products, and discuss the case for hemp farming in the U.S. in relation to SB 676.

Who: Speakers will include:

Brendan Brazier is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 percent plant-based and vegan. He is a professional Ironman triathlete, bestselling author on performance nutrition, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called VEGA.

John W. Roulac is the founder and CEO of Nutiva®, the world's leading brand of organic hemp foods and coconut oil. Nutiva® was awarded one of Inc 500/5000's fastest-growing companies in America in 2009 and 2010. A longtime advocate for holistic living, he is the author of four books on hemp and composting (with a million+ copies sold). John helped jump-start the modern home-composting movement in the early 1990s, and has founded three nonprofit ecological groups.

Steve Levine is President of the Hemp Industries Association, a non-profit organization that represents roughly 250 businesses, farmers, researchers and individuals dedicated to educating people about industrial hemp while supporting the growing hemp industry in the United States.

Nurit Katz  is  UCLA's  first Sustainability  Coordinator. She  is  working  to  foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments and further the goals and initiatives of the campus sustainability program. Nurit holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Masters in Public Policy from the UCLA School of Public Affairs. In 2010,

Nurit completed a full Ironman distance triathlon.

When: Tuesday, March 29th, 2011, 7pm - 9pm

Where: Broad Art Center, Patio and Room 2160E, UCLA Campus - 240 Charles E. Young Drive

North, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Hemp History Week is a nationwide education campaign showcasing the health benefits and eco- friendly attributes of hemp products. The second annual Hemp History Week will be celebrated May 2-8th, 2011. American farmers are currently prohibited from growing non-drug industrial hemp, despite an estimated 400 million dollars and growing in annual retail sales for hemp products in the United States. Under the banner of 'Hemp for Health and Sustainability' organizers aim for the 2011 campaign to bridge the conversation between America's past history with industrial hemp and the increased benefits that consumers and the economy will experience when American farmers can grow industrial hemp once again. Hemp History Week is a public awareness campaign supported by the Hemp Industries Association, Vote Hemp, and a number of leading natural products companies, including Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Nutiva, Nature's Path, Manitoba Harvest and Sequel Naturals.

For more information, go to: www.HempHistoryWeek.com.

Contact:

Ryan Fletcher 202-641-0277

Doe Hatfield 503-756-8257

SOURCE Hemp History Week

High hopes for hemp house

Article By: Pippa Ehrlich (source: property.iafrica.com) 

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:41

South Africa's building industry has taken another step forward. High up on a hill overlooking the sea in Noordhoek, Western Cape, stands the House that Hemp Built. The first of its kind in South Africa, the building was constructed almost entirely of materials that could be grown on a few hectares of land within months.

The house belongs to Tony Budden, co-owner of hemp company Hemporium, who has been exploring and showcasing the product in South Africa since founding his company in 1996. He’s been working on his remarkable home since 2005 and his idea has finally become concrete - or rather, hempcrete. The house was conceived as a prototype for future projects in South Africa. Housing is one of the government’s most pressing challenges, and building with hemp (Cannabis sativa) could make housing projects more affordable and more sustainable.

In four months one hectare of hemp can produce enough material for a strong and well insulated home that’s suitable for the government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). And after harvesting the first crop, materials for another house could be grown on the same land. 

Ideal eco-building material

Hemp is increasingly being recognised as an ideal eco-building material, especially in Europe and Britain, where authorities are using hemp in pilot homes in their housing and eco-estates. When Budden started the project, his major challenge was to find a local contractor who had experience in building with hemp. The solution presented itself when he was approached by green architect Erwin van der Weerd, who was pioneering a new modular building system for which he wanted to use hemp. 

At his Stellenbosch factory, Van der Weerd constructed panels for the hemp house’s walls and transported them to Noordhoek, where it took a few days to assemble the house out of what looked like Lego blocks for grownups.

Modular building is much faster than the conventional process and could be effective in an RDP housing project, because all the work that requires technical expertise could be performed at a central location. Houses could be churned out at speed and would go a long way towards reducing the current housing backlog without affecting quality and safety.

Apart from its wooden frame, the House that Hemp Built is constructed mostly from the renewable plant. As far as possible, the panels’ inside posts are made of reclaimed wood. Inside the panels are two layers of hemp insulation and, in addition to this, the walls are strengthened with hempcrete. This is a mixture of lime, water and hemp stalks; a by-product of the textile industry. Hempcrete continues to strengthen as it gets older and harder, and the spaces between the stalks create additional insulation. The walls are plastered with hemp screed which is similar in formula, but with more lime and some sand.

Some walls in the house are made from hemp chipboard, for which Budden negotiated with Chinese suppliers to develop a board that used an eco-binder instead of formaldehyde. These pioneer technologies are not cheap and, with the imported materials, the costs of the hemp house are comparable to a conventional building of the same size.

Contentious issue

Currently, South African legislation doesn’t distinguish between tetrahydrocannabinol-containing marijuana and industrial hemp, which is cultivated for maximum fibre and minimal amounts of the psychoactive compound.

This makes it illegal to grow the plant privately in the country, but Budden has received interest and offers of support from numerous governmental and non-governmental bodies.

South Africa has been running hemp pilot projects since 1998 and the latest trials are located in the Eastern Cape. Because the country presents ideal conditions for growing excellent quality hemp, the momentum for its industrial use is increasing.

If the hemp project proves successful and large-scale cultivation goes ahead, it could change the lives of millions of South Africans. Thousands of jobs will be created in all sectors of the industry, from cultivation to beneficiation, and nutritious hemp seeds could provide poor people with essential omega oils mostly found in fish. Economies of scale will make hemp building highly economical. It is estimated that over the next five years the global hemp industry could grow to be worth as much as R6.9-billion (US$1-billion).

When the finishing touches are completed in a few weeks’ time, Budden will move into his new house, but his mission to cultivate awareness about hemp and sustainability is far from over. "You don't have to change everything about your life to be green," he said. "It's about how you use the resources that you have. Food must be nutritious and clothing must be strong. It's about moving away from mass consumer culture towards conscious consumer culture."

Article published courtesy of MediaClubSouthAfrica.com.

Hemp Farming in China

Below are a couple of articles from CannabisCulture magazine about hemp farming in China.

Chinese Officials Promote Growing of Hemp

By Xinhua - Wednesday, April 15 2009

TAGS:

• HEADLINE NEWS
 
• CHINA
 
• FARMING
 
• HEMP

Officials in southwest China's Yunnan Province are promoting the cultivation of hemp for industrial use to increase the income of local residents.

A hemp fiber processing factory with an annual capacity of 2,000 tonnes began production yesterday in Menghai County in Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, a mountainous region in Yunnan.

"The fiber from hemp is widely used to make socks and bulletproof clothes as well as top-grade suits," said Shi Dongming, board chairman of China Hemp Industrial Holding Investment Co Ltd, which runs the production line.

Local officials expect the plant to help raise the living standard of farmers.

The government provides the seeds for free to encourage cultivation. Farmers can also get technical training and instruction.

"Nearly 10,000 farmers are growing the plant, which can double their per capita income from less than 2,000 yuan (US$293) to about 4,000 yuan every year," said Jiang Pusheng, Communist Party chief of the prefecture.

Yang Yonghong from Manlu Village plans to plant more hemp next year. "The planting does not demand too much work. Companies will come to collect the hemp in the harvest time, so we are not worried about sales," she said.

Local officials said the growth would not lead to the production of illegal drugs, although Xishuangbanna is near the Golden Triangle region where drugs are produced and smuggled.

The hemp contains less than 0.1 percent of THC, the key ingredient in marijuana, while the cannabis grown for marijuana can contain up to 5 percent of THC or even more, said Zhang Jianchun, a researcher with the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army. 

He has been working on the development and cultivation of the hemp since 2003.

"The cost of making marijuana from our hemp is much higher than the price of the drugs," Zhang said, "So we don't think drug producers will target the farms here."

By 2020, China will build cultivation bases in the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia as well as Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Gansu and Anhui provinces, Zhang said. The project is expected to help lift about 3 million people out of poverty, he said.

- Article from the Shanghai Daily.

China Looks To Hemp For Poverty Alleviation

After years of sometimes confused policy in which industrial hemp was lumped together with its psychoactive cousin marijuana, the Chinese government is now actively promoting hemp cultivation as a tool for lifting rural Chinese out of poverty.

China will build multiple hemp cultivation bases in Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Gansu and Anhui provinces as well as the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia by 2020, a project that is expected to bring three million people out of poverty, according to a Shanghai Daily report citing an official from the People's Liberation Army's General Logistics Department.

Production at one of the first facilities involved in this plan went online yesterday in Menghai County in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southern Yunnan. The hemp fiber processing factory, owned by China Hemp Industrial Holding Co Ltd, has an annual capacity of 2,000 tonnes.

In addition to being used to produce fibers for rope and clothing, hemp can also be used to make paper which is much less damaging to the environment than paper made from trees. Aside from causing deforestation, tree paper is bleached with toxic chlorine bleach. Hemp paper can be bleached with less environmentally harmful hydrogen peroxide.

Industrial hemp can also be used to produce fuel, biodegradable plastics, construction materials and health foods.

The government in Xishuangbanna now provides farmers with free hemp seeds plus technical training. According to the prefecture's party chief Jiang Pusheng, there are nearly 10,000 farmers growing hemp in the area, farmers who through hemp cultivation stand to double their annual income from 2,000 yuan (US$293) to 4,000 yuan.

- Article from GoKunming.