cannabisnews.com: DEA Rule Threatens To Shut Down Hemp Food Industry





DEA Rule Threatens To Shut Down Hemp Food Industry
Posted by FoM on December 03, 2001 at 11:27:56 PT
Protest Date: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 at 11:30 a.m. 
Source: U.S. Newswire 
The burgeoning 5 million dollar a year hemp food industry is facing a huge challenge as the Drug Enforcement Agency issues new rules banning all hemp seed and oil food products that contain minuscule amounts of THC. Hemp food enthusiasts and leading hemp food manufacturers will conduct nationwide DEA Challenge Taste Tests in 69 cities on December 4th at 11:30 a.m., including one at the DEA's headquarters located at 700 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia to protest the rule. 
 Who: -- John Roulac, Founder of Nutiva, a Hemp food Manufacturer and Plaintiff Against the New Rule -- http://www.nutiva.com -- David Bronner, Chair, Hemp Industries Association (HIA) Food and Oil Committee -- http://www.thehia.org/ -- Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp -- http://www.votehemp.com/  What: -- Hemp Food "Taste Test" Protest and Media Availability  When: -- Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2001 at 11:30 a.m.   Where: -- Drug Enforcement Agency Headquarters 700 Army Navy Drive Arlington, VA At the "DEA Taste Tests," hemp food enthusiasts will offer various food products to DEA employees during their lunch break. Highly nutritious hemp seeds and oil have absolutely no psychoactive effect and are about as likely to be abused as poppy seed bagels for their trace opiate content, or fruit juices because of their trace alcohol content (present through natural fermentation). The DEA has not banned poppy seed bagels despite the trace opiates that have interfered with workplace drug tests, which hemp foods do not. Hemp is more nutritious than traditional staples because of high concentrations of the two essential fatty acids in a perfect ratio of the omega-3 &omega-6 acids and because it's rich in Vitamin E and protein. Dozens of hemp food manufacturers who produce a broad range of safe, nutritious foods such as pretzels, chips, energy bars, waffles, salad dressing, cereal and ice cream are challenging DEA rules published in the Federal Register on October 9, 2001. The interpretive rule, effective immediately, was developed without any public notice or comment period and is currently being challenged in federal court. The DEA's new rules will cause substantial harm to hemp businesses and consumers alike and are not based on any real threat or abuse potential. "The amount of THC in hemp foods is less than an olive pit in a railroad car," says John Roulac, President of Nutiva -- http://www.nutiva.com "The five-year-old U.S. hemp food industry is roughly the size of the soy food industry 30 years ago. Today, soy is used in countless food products and is a multi-billion-dollar crop. The DEA rules are not based in science, will result in job losses and will stifle this growing industry," says Roulac. Like poppy seed, hemp seed is clearly exempted from the Controlled Substances Act by Congress. 21 U.S.C. 802(16), (19) and (20). The hemp industry is currently pursuing legal action, but enforcement of the rule by the DEA could at any time result in criminal prosecution. To learn more about hemp foods and how they do not trigger false positive confirmation drug tests please visit -- http://www.testpledge.comFor more information or to arrange interviews with representatives of the hemp industry, please call Adam Eidinger at 202-986-6186 or 202-744-2671 (cell). Complete Title: New DEA Rule Threatens to Shut Down Hemp Food Industry; Activists Respond with Nationwide "DEA Taste Test"Source: U.S.NewswirePublished: Wednesday, November 28, 2001Copyright: 2001, U.S. Newswire FTE's Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmCannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtmlDEA Rule Bans Hemp Food Productshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11465.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Dark Star on December 03, 2001 at 13:37:08 PT
More Propaganda
The slate at the DEA conference suggests that propaganda is the order of the day rather than an academic discussion of the issues.The panelists should be required to give their interpretation of the Bill of Rights.
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Comment #5 posted by Robbie on December 03, 2001 at 13:17:24 PT
Interesting note (if not frightening)
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/advisories.htmlDEA plans a "symposium" tomorrow, the 4th, discussing the links between terrorism and the drug trade. I'll bet that it's more likely that the symposium would get more airplay than the protests against DEA actions on the same day.And for all their talk about an "open forum" to discuss the drug-money/terrorist linkage, will ANY of them discuss the fact that prohibition of drugs is its own price support system? That drugs would not fund anybody if they weren't the worth-their-weight-in-gold market items that American puritannical ideologies establish them to be? I seriously doubt it.
Undernews
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Comment #4 posted by Dark Star on December 03, 2001 at 13:02:57 PT
Join the Club
Now we can count hemp purveyors among the unemployed, victimized and persecuted. They will join the medical marijuana users as an untouchable caste.Soon we'll be able to add everyone that opposes Amerikan policy or won't say the pledge. 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 03, 2001 at 12:27:49 PT
Just a note
My phone line appears to be going down and I thought I should post this note in case I don't get news up for a while. I'm only connecting at 14. I used to connect at 28 but it seems those days are gone. I'll get news up as long as I can! Keeping my fingers crossed!
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Comment #2 posted by Robbie on December 03, 2001 at 12:00:22 PT
They finally get a voice!
I'm glad this story is out. More people will know about hemp activists and the DEA's silly rulemaking. I hope to see local news stories about the "Taste Tests", knowing full well there won't be any national story by major networks.I also wish I could be there in Oakland to help those folks out, but I may not be able to attend. I'm doing my part for patriotism that day, and its name is "jury duty."
Vote Hemp!
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on December 03, 2001 at 11:58:58 PT
Show Support!
To show support for the hemp food industry please attend the nationwide events on Tuesday!(scroll to bottom for list of cities planning events):
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n000/a225.html
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