Congress urged to end ban on growing hemp

BY ROB HOTAKAINEN

Source: miamiherald.com

Hemp fiber can be made into a number of products. But growing it is illegal under federal law. 

GERALDINE WILKINS/LOS ANGELES TIMES / MCT

Authorities arrested David Bronner when he locked himself in a steel-bar cage in front of the White House last year and began using a hand-powered press to extract fresh oil from 12 large hemp plants, which he planned to put on French bread and serve to passers-by.

Bronner, a California executive, says there’s no good reason that growing hemp --- the non-intoxicating sister plant of marijuana --- is still illegal under U.S. law.

On Monday, he came back to Washington, joining a group of 50 citizen-lobbyists who urged Congress to lift the federal ban, saying it would allow more domestic hemp to be used in food, clothing, body-care products, construction materials, even auto parts.

"It's time to grow hemp," Bronner said."I mean, it's been a long and ridiculous situation."

The issue gained traction in September when California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that would allow farmers in the state to grow hemp if the federal government lifts its ban. California joined nine other states with similar laws, but growers still never know if they’ll face federal prosecution.

"You have to be willing to bet the farm to find out," said Tom Murphy, national outreach coordinator for a pro-legalization group called Vote Hemp.

Ryan Loflin, a Colorado farmer who joined the group at the Capitol, decided to take the risk, growing 60 acres of hemp and harvesting the crop last month. It was touted as the first acknowledged commercial hemp crop in the U.S. in more than 50 years.

"It's a ridiculous policy, so I just challenged them on it," Loflin said, adding that he so far has not faced any threats of enforcement action.

Growers say the situation in the U.S. is complicated by the fact that it's legal to buy and sell hemp products but that growing and cultivating the crop is illegal. They're out to sell legalization with economic arguments, saying the industry already has more than $500 million in annual retail sales.

"It's not a drug ---it's purely about jobs," Loflin said.

Not everyone's convinced, however.

"Hemp is the forgotten child of drug policy --- and for good reason: I have never heard a solid rationale for legalizing something with such little demand," said Kevin Sabet, the director of the University of Florida Drug Policy Institute and a former adviser on drug issues to President Barack Obama and Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Sabet said the small demand for hemp is provided by foreign producers at little cost to the American economy but that legalizing hemp "might frustrate enforcement efforts, as people could be growing marijuana but hiding it under the guise of hemp."

Hemp growers say their cause is helped by the growing popularity of the movement to legalize marijuana. A majority of Americans now say they want criminal penalties removed for possession, polls indicate. And two states, Washington and Colorado, last year voted to approve marijuana for recreational use for adults age 21 and older beginning in 2014.

And hemp backers say they'll secure another big win if they can convince House and Senate negotiators to include language in a new farm bill that would allow colleges and universities to grow hemp and academic and agricultural research.

Bronner, the CEO of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, imports the plant from Canada and uses it in his line of natural soaps, saying it contains the popular omega-3 essential fatty acid and produces a smooth lather that's less drying to the skin.

"It's just a really good oil," he said.

And Bronner said "the most ridiculous part of the drug war" has been banning hemp at all because it can't be used to get high. He said it never should never have been classified with marijuana as a controlled substance in the first place and that it now becomes "increasingly untenable" to maintain the hemp ban as states move to legalize marijuana.

He and other hemp supporters said it's only a matter of time --- perhaps a few years at most --- before the federal government will give a green light to their industry.

"We're just really excited," Bronner said. "It's been a long time coming."

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/18/3762221/congress-urged-to-end-ban-on-growing.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/18/3762221/congress-urged-to-end-ban-on-growing.html#storylink=cpy

Glenwood woman solidifies plans for new West Slope hemp industry

by Nelson Harvey
Source: aspendailynews.com

An expanded mill to make socks from hemp and other natural fibers. A factory to process thousands of acres worth of locally grown hemp plants into seed oil. And a manufacturing facility to break the hearty plants down into sustainable building materials.

These are just a few of the plans that Glenwood Springs entrepreneur Barbara Filippone, 56, has for the hemp industry on the Western Slope. With the adoption last week of formal hemp cultivation rules by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, her economic development dreams are inching closer to reality.

Since Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 in 2012 legalizing industrial hemp along with its botanical relative, marijuana, Filippone said people have been “coming out of the woodwork” to talk with her about growing hemp or investing in hemp related businesses.

Filippone is uniquely suited to pounce on the burgeoning hemp industry: Along with her daughter, Summer Star Haeske, she currently runs the natural fiber business EnviroTextiles out of a former church in Glenwood Springs. The business imports and distributes all manner of textiles and yarns made from natural fibers, including hemp, and Filippone has more than three decades of experience helping countries like Canada and China develop their domestic hemp sectors.

Like marijuana, hemp is a variety of cannabis sativa, but it contains almost none of pot’s intoxicating THC. With its close resemblance to marijuana, hemp remains federally illegal to grow, but the U.S. Justice Department indicated last summer that it doesn’t intend to interfere with the implementation of Amendment 64. 

At present, all the hemp that EnviroTextiles handles is imported, but Filippone hopes that won’t be the case for long. In recent months, she’s begun gathering private investment for a western Colorado agriculture and manufacturing plan that she claims could create more than 170 local jobs in its first phase alone. Although the plan remains confidential, it involves making textiles, building materials, hemp seed oil and other products from factories based between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction. 

Filippone said she’s fielded calls from hundreds of farmers interested in growing hemp in Colorado, and recently had a visit from a woman representing the owner of 50,000 agricultural acres on the Front Range.

Ken Sack, the owner of the Silt-based farm Eagle Springs Organic, is also in early-stage talks with Filippone about converting some of his acreage into hemp production next year.

“It sounds interesting, and we definitely have the room,” said Sack, a former Florida pharmacist who now supplies Whole Foods grocery stores and farmers markets across the state with produce from his 1,600-acre farm. “I hear that hemp takes a lot less water than other crops, and hopefully it’s less problematic than marijuana.”

Filippone said she’s excited about a potential collaboration with Eagle Springs, and about the possibility of selling hemp grown in Silt to manufacturers of building materials on the Western Slope.

“Because of our locations, it seems like a natural fit,” she said.

State rules in place, interest growing, but federal questions loom

Compared to the thousands of pot farmers who are racing to set up shop before Colorado’s recreational marijuana market debuts next year, hemp farmers in Colorado will have a fairly straightforward set of rules to follow.

Regulations approved last week by the Colorado Department of Agriculture require hemp growers in the state to pay a $200 annual fee, plus $1 for every acre of hemp they grow. They’ll also have to cover the cost of random state inspections intended to make sure that their hemp plants contain less than 0.3 percent THC, and thus can’t be used to get people high.

Despite the relatively light regulatory burden, some farmers remain nervous about the fact that hemp remains illegal under federal law. There are questions about whether shipments of hemp seed from countries like Canada could be intercepted by U.S. customs agents, and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, which represents large growers of commodity crops across Colorado, has warned its members to abstain from planting hemp for now, out of fear that it could jeopardize their federal crop insurance.

So far, the lone known planting of the crop in Colorado took place last spring on about 60 acres of land in Springfield, in southeast Colorado, and the farmer responsible had to smuggle his seeds into the U.S., according to media reports.

“Right now, there’s definitely an interest, and some farmers are willing to take the risk and jump in and go while others are waiting until the issues get ironed out,” said Mike McDermott, a Palisade-based farmer who runs a peach orchard, an alpaca farm and a small mill that blends alpaca yarn and Filippone’s fibers into socks.

For Sack, the assurance that the federal government won’t intervene if his hemp plants are approved by the Colorado Department of Agriculture would go a long way toward putting him at ease about hemp.

McDermott suspects that many other farmers feel the same way.

“I think once the farmers get through the whole legal aspect, it will catch on fairly quickly,” he said, adding that hemp is hardier that wheat, corn or other commodity crops and thus ideally suited for the dry and sometimes turbulent conditions of western Colorado.

“We can grow it in pretty much any soil condition we want, and we can utilize 100 percent of the plant,” he said. “If a farmer sees an opportunity to make money without the maintenance of other crops, they’re going to be interested in that.”

EDITORIAL: Industrial hemp should be considered separate from marijuana in legislation talks

By Alexander Armani-Munn
Source: uncmirror.com

In the last year, advocates of marijuana reform have had ample reasons to celebrate. The prospects of increased tax revenue, decreased spending on enforcement and incarceration and depleting criminal activity have warmed a considerable portion of the population to the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana.

I appreciate the legislative reforms that have legalized or decriminalized marijuana in some form in 21 states across the United States. Still, I believe the greatest appeal of cannabis lies not in its psychoactive effects, but rather in its cultivation for biofuels, textiles, food products and many other consumer goods.

As the discourse on marijuana reform moves forward and gains prominence on the national stage, I encourage advocates and opponents alike to consider the multi-faceted nature of this issue
The appeal of cannabis extends far beyond the bong, and as such, we should not limit the dialogue around its regulation to its consumption as a psychoactive substance.

Industrial hemp thrived as a leading cash crop in America until the 20th century.

The end of the golden age of industrial hemp cultivation began with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, and despite a brief resurgence fueled by government subsidies during World War II, industrial hemp production essentially ceased in America by the 1950s.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to House Resolution 1947, which allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp at colleges and universities in states where it is already legal without fear of federal interference. The cultivation of industrial hemp at colleges and universities will allow for important research on the use of cannabis in textiles, building materials, food and biofuels.

On Nov. 6, Colorado officials unveiled a proposed framework for the regulation of industrial hemp in the state. The regulation will require farmers to pay a $200 annual fee with an additional $1 for every acre of hemp planted. Commissioners in the Colorado Department of Agriculture must now approve the regulations.

It is unlikely the federal government will interfere with the development of the industrial hemp industry in Colorado, but hemp itself is still a schedule one substance and no federal bill has yet been approved decriminalizing hemp production on a broad scale.

The U.S. Senate is currently sitting on the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013, which would exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. Essentially, hemp would no longer be coupled with marijuana as a controlled substance and accordingly be subject to separate regulation. The bill requires farmers to grow industrial hemp in accordance with state law and to maintain THC levels in their crop not exceeding 0.3 percent.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 is compelling legislation with great bipartisan support-a democratic sponsor with two republican sponsors and an independent. Regardless of their preference for pot, I encourage all people to research the benefits of industrial hemp and to support legislation that allows for the cultivation of hemp.

5 Places to Sneak Hemp Into Your Diet

Bt Magda Rod
Source: care2.com

Hemp is on my list of top superfoods. Hemp is high in protein and healthy fats, and is very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of zinc, and a very good source of magnesium. Hemp contains all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source has the essential amino acids in such an easily digestible form, nor has the essential fatty acids in as perfect a ratio to meet human nutritional needs. Available in concentrated protein, shelled seeds, or oil, there are unlimited ways to include hemp in your everyday diet. I consume it just about every day in one form or another. Here are my top 5 ways to eat hemp:

1. Salad

Adding raw organic hemp seeds to any salad gives it a nutritional as well as flavor boost. Try my favorite Creamy Kale Salad Recipe. Also consider switching your salad oil to hemp oil instead of whatever you’re using now.

2. Smoothies

Hemp is a prime plant based protein alternative to whey, which can acidify the body and create extra strain on your kidneys. You can use concentrated hemp protein or for a creamier smoothie use the shelled hemp seeds. Here’s my favorite smoothie recipe.

3. Breakfast

Many people start their day with a bowl of  heart healthy oatmeal. Sprinkle in a couple tablespoons of hemp seeds to up the nutritional value even more, and add a subtle nutty taste. You can also sprinkle hemp seeds in yogurt or any other breakfast cereal.

4. Dairy Substitute/Ice Cream/Milk

Did you know you can easily make your own raw hemp milk at home? Skip the cartons that have the questionable added carrageenan, and make your own by blending 2-3 tablespoons of raw organic hemp seeds with 4-8 ounces of water. The water to seeds ratio is for you to decide, based on if you prefer a thinner milk, or thicker cream (to replace that unhealthy half and half). Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a few drops of liquid stevia and vanilla to bring the taste closer to a store bought brand. Make sure to blend the mixture on high for 45 seconds to a minute, preferably with a high speed blender, to fully blend the seeds for a smooth finish. If it’s still too lumpy for you, strain it through cheese cloth or a nut milk bag.You can try adding flax seeds (1/2-1 tablespoon) and even some soaked brown rice. A good rule of thumb to make a quart of milk is 1 cup hemp seeds to 4 parts water. Experiment and see what mixture and consistency you personally like. Store in a mason jar and make fresh every few days and shake it up before pouring. If you’re lucky enough to live in the vicinity of Omega Creamery’s limited distribution area like I am, you can enjoy  not only their hemp milk but also their low glycemic vegan superfood ice cream!

5. Pesto

That’s right! You can make a superfood vegan pesto with hemp seeds! Here’s the recipe. I add this to gluten free pasta, use it as a pizza base instead of tomato sauce, or spread it on flax crackers.

Adding more hemp to your diet will not only improve your health, but can help create more demand for this sustainable crop which requires no fertilizers or pesticides, and help the call for (re)legalization. The hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) is one of the earliest known cultivated crops, and it has many uses including textiles, fiber, wood, plastic and fuel alternatives. And no, it won’t get you high or make you test positive for drugs, but it will make you and our precious planet a whole lot healthier.

Dark Chocolate + Toasted Hemp Seeds CollaBARation bar

By Crystal Lindell
Source candyindustry.com

Dark Chocolate + Toasted Hemp Seeds CollaBARation bar

Askinosie Chocolate, Springfield, Mo.

(417) 862-9900

Askinosie Chocolate newest chocolate is the latest in its CollaBARation line — Dark Chocolate + Toasted Hemp Seeds.

It was created in collaboration with Austin-based hemp purveyor, Happy Hemp, and it’s the sixth bar in Askinosie Chocolate’s CollaBARation line.

The company partnered with Tara Miko Grayless, founder of Happy Hemp, one of the few hemp importers in the country, who advocates the benefits of this “super food.”

“We all know how healthy dark chocolate is for you and when you add our hemp seeds — which are organic, protein-rich, and full of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids — this bar is all the pleasure minus the guilt,” says Grayless. “The flavor is exceptional, but it’s also still a really healthy treat.”

This chocolate bar blends creamy and fruity dark chocolate with slightly crunchy and perfectly toasted hemp seeds, making a fun and healthful snack.

Ingredients: Cocoa Beans, organic cane sugar, toasted hemp seeds, cocoa butter (Made in our factory)

Hemp Industry Association (HIA) Conference in DC Sunday With Hemp Lobbying Day Monday

Source: ladybud.com

The 20th Annual HIA Conference is taking place on November 17 at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. and  HIA will lead a lobbying day on November 18th. It is not too late to register either or both.

Invited and Confirmed Speakers:

• Tony Budden, Hemporium – South Africa – Hemp’s potential for sustainable change in Africa
• Kevin Greenwood, VP Marketing, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods – Manitoba Harvest’s Business Model and the Canadian Hemp Landscape
• Erik Hunter, Hemp Cleans – The Current Status of Industrial Hemp Agriculture in Colorado
• Fred Kirsch, Hemp for America – Grassroots Support for Industrial Hemp in America
• Ryan Loflin, Rocky Mountain Hemp – Hemp’s Historic Come Back
• Errol Schweizer, Whole Foods – Hemp at Whole Foods Market
• George Weiblen, PhD, University of Minnesota – Lead us not into hemptation: the genetics of American Cannabis
• Ben Droz, Vote Hemp – Panel: Federal Hemp Legislation & Lobby Day Coordination
• Patrick Goggin, Vote Hemp – Panel: California Hemp Legislation
• Anndrea Hermann, The Ridge International Cannabis Consulting – Hemp Agronomics – Seed to Soil; OSU Hemp Course
• Steve Levine, Past President of HIA – Panel: California Hemp Legislation
• Tom Murphy, Vote Hemp & The Hemp Report – HIA Conference Coordinator
• Larry Serbin, Hemp Traders – Hemp Fiber Market Update
• Eric Steenstra, Vote Hemp & HIA – Introductions; Vote Hemp Legislative Update; HIA Financial Report
• Christina Volgyesi, Director of Marketing, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps - Hemp History Week Report

Indeed.
PHOTO: Diane Fornbacher/Ladybud Magazine

The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) presents a free screening of Bringing It Home, a documentary about hemp, healthy homes and a greener future for America, 7:00 p.m. November 18th at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC as part of the HIA Conference and Hemp Lobby Day. HIA leaders featured in the documentary film include Eric Steenstra, Anndrea Hermann, David Bronner, John Roulac, and Vote Hemp’s Ben Droz. Filmmakers Linda Booker and Blaire Johnson will be in attendance. Please click here to learn more.

If you are coming to Washington, DC and want to schedule a meeting with your Congressional offices, please start by clicking here and fill out our form to help you.

The mission of the HIA, a 501(c)(6) membership-based non-profit trade group, is to represent the interests of the hemp industry and to encourage the research and development of new products made from industrial hemp, low-THC oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. The HIA and HIA Members:

• Educate the public about the exceptional attributes of hemp products.
• Facilitate the exchange of information and technology between hemp agriculturists, processors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
• Maintain and defend the integrity of hemp products.
• Advocate and support socially responsible and environmentally sound business practices.

FIND HIA ON FACEBOOK

REVIEW and RECIPE: Nature’s Path Organic Hemp Plus Granola

By Vanessa Waltz
Source: ladybud.com

Looking for a delicious breakfast cereal that also works well as the base for a super trail mix or a nutritious smoothie?Nature’s Path Organic Hemp Plus Granola is a certified organic, non-GMO, whole grain granola that is as tasty and versatile as it is healthy. Plus, it comes in an awesome little sustainably-produced “Envirobox” adorned with a hemp leaf.

I appreciate reading labels and recognizing all of the ingredients as foods rather than unpronounceable chemicals, and happily, Hemp Plus Granola is just real whole food products, without additives or preservatives. The hemp in Hemp Plus Granola is whole hemp seeds, and you can see plenty of them in the mix, along with flax seeds, super little crunchy pops of protein and a source of healthy Omega-3. The taste is mild and slightly sweet, and I adore its light, popping crunchiness of the whole rolled oats – this is definitely not a cereal that gets soggy in milk. If you prefer sweet granolas, you’d probably prefer Hemp Plus Granola with the addition of raisins or sweetened almond or soy milk.

I’ve also mixed it into a smoothie, and holy shit wow: if you’ve never tried a granola smoothie before, this is the perfect granola to get you started (recipe below). As if the taste and versatility of Hemp Plus Granola wasn’t enough to leave me totally swooning, Nature’s Path is a great company to support. According to Arran Stephens, “Founder and Garden-Keeper” of Nature’s Path,

Being a family-run, independent company, we’ve had the freedom to place people first and get behind the things we’re passionate about: things like tracking down exotic new ingredients and superfoods, supporting family and organic farming, championing wildlife conservation, and showing leadership in support of food banks and urban gardens.