cannabisnews.com: First Legal Hemp Farm Continues To Flourish First Legal Hemp Farm Continues To Flourish Posted by FoM on May 26, 2001 at 18:18:36 PT Whatever Happened... Source: Star-Bulletin Question: What ever happened to the hemp farm in Wahiawa?Answer: The nation's first legal hemp farm in 60 years had no problem getting its permit renewed last fall to continue research after two years of successful operation in Wahiawa, said Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R-Kailua), the state's leading hemp advocate. Touted as the source of countless, diverse products, hemp is also called "industrial hemp" to further distinguish it from its look-alike cousin, marijuana. Even though hemp does not have the same hallucinogenic properties as marijuana, both are classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a controlled, illegal substance.Thielen said the DEA has not yet submitted draft regulations allowing the farming of industrial hemp for publication in the Federal Register. But almost half the states in the nation have written resolutions calling for the legalization of hemp farming, she said.President Bill Clinton renewed the permit in late October for only nine months, but Thielen said, "We don't anticipate a problem with the DEA." But she said it may take another year or two before the DEA moves on the public-hearing phase, adding, "It takes time to get the federal government to change direction."The farm is about to move into the next phase of breeding the best seed for Hawaii's climate, she said. David West, the plant geneticist in charge of the farm's research, has been "extremely successful in bringing seeds in from all over the world" to determine what varieties are best for Hawaii, Thielen said."Hawaii has the opportunity to become the seed-breeding capital for hemp in the nation. ... We're way ahead of everyone," according to Thielen.Hawaii also has the advantage of getting five crops per year when other places generally produce only one per year, she added.Tom Kelly, head of the DEA in Hawaii, said "no problems" have been reported with the farm's security or meeting the strict regulations required of the experimental farm. "Random inspections" have been handled by Washington headquarters, he said.The hemp farm was in the news this past week after the theft of some plants and seeds. Investigators believe the fenced-in lot was broken into last weekend.Complete Title: Nation’s First Legal Hemp Farm Continues To Flourish in WahiawaSource: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)Published: Saturday, May 26, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Honolulu Star-BulletinContact: letters starbulletin.comWebsite: http://www.starbulletin.com/Related Articles:Hawaii Begins Hemp Experimenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4008.shtmlDEA Permits Hawaii To Plant Industrial Hemphttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3985.shtml CannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by meagain on May 30, 2001 at 12:08:13 PT Memories Awsome article I use to hang around Wahiawa years ago when stationed at Scholfield Barracks. Wanna say "Shaka bra" to all my friends Willy Rob Patsy Gary "Gravedigger" Wahaiwa Park was the place Yaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!! I sure miss Hawaii being back here in Indiana SURE BITES. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on May 28, 2001 at 21:23:22 PT Paca-Lolo? I'm afraid the hemp being grown in Hawaii wouldn't make a fruit-fly crazy. Go Hawaii!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Rambler on May 27, 2001 at 21:20:25 PT Frances Please tell us,have you ever tried Pacalolo,Marijuana?Please tell us. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 27, 2001 at 21:14:44 PT Not absolutely sure about funding now I think so Frances. The cost was in the security that the DEA required. Fences etc. I'll try to find out more if you want me too. Just let me know. Ah loco weed. What I was told by my Mother when I was a child about loco weed was that when wild horses ate it they went crazy. I am not sure if that's true but that's what she told me about it I remember. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by frances on May 27, 2001 at 20:59:36 PT Funding paka-lola means "loco weed"Is Alterna still funding the plot? $200,000 isn't that much money to build fences and pay a PhD's salary. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 27, 2001 at 11:54:28 PT Here you go Frances I'm not sure what a paka-loco farm is but here is the answer to your question."The project was made possible by a $200,000 grant from hemp shampoo maker Alterna's Professional Hair Care Products," explained Thielen. "Due to Alterna's financial support, the construction for the facility for the one-quarter acre industrial hemp plot began."Alterna's Web Sitehttp://www.4alterna.com./DEA Permits Hawaii To Plant Industrial Hemp http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3985.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Frances on May 27, 2001 at 10:20:27 PT: HEMP: Funding Who is funding this paka-loco farm? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Tim Stone on May 26, 2001 at 19:42:38 PT Self-delusion How quaintly naive. How pleasant it must be to live in a state that is beyond the fifty comprising the Union. A state where people expect the DEA to act in good faith and according to the law. Chuckle, snort, hearty guffaw, hoot. The Prohibitionist Fed Government has demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt over decades that it is not acting in good faith and has no intention of ever doing so, because the ProFedGov has been given carte blanche not only to uphold the law, but in the case of attempts to challenge the law, the Congress has pretty much given the ProFedGov the legal power to re-define the law to suit itself, in case the law ever gets seriously challenged.Wait for it: Just when the Hawaiians are convinced that the ProFedGov is actually working in good faith to make commercial hemp a viable industry, at the last minute, just when it looks like commercial hemp is a legal done-deal in Hawaii, the DEA will remove the Mask of Reasonableness, and in the dark, with no warning, by surprise, sneaky-like, change the Fed rules to suit itself, and totally screw the hempsters. And the Courts will uphold the DEA, as they did after DEA Administrative Judge Francis Young ordered cannabis to be moved to a lower schedule back in '88, and the DEA then changed the rules, and an Appellate court agreed with the DEA re-definition. Of course there's oversight. The Congress controls the DEA budget, and DEA powers. Go fish. It still remains a brutal truism for drug policy reformers: Ain't gonna be no change in the DEA's absolute control until, just as back in terrible of memory Vietnam era, politicians get kicked out of office solely or primarily because of their position on the war. That's when we'll see a sea change: when it becomes clearly known that the reason several politicians, especially prominent prohibitionists, lost reelection was specifically due to their support of the drug war. That's when the politico saps will suddenly wise up and admit the total failure they've known in private all along about the drug war, and suddenly see the light. And we're not there yet. It'll take some years yet, methinkum. Until politicians fear being voted out of office because of their support for drug war status quo, the politico thumb-suckers won't be nudged away from their drug war security blanket. And until politicos get voted out of office, we're playing with the same, stacked deck where the DEA will always win. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: