cannabisnews.com: DEA Plan Could Hamper Hemp Retailer DEA Plan Could Hamper Hemp Retailer Posted by FoM on October 01, 2001 at 11:34:19 PT By Prabha Natarajan Source: Pacific Business News When Kathy Barr opened Paia's Hemp House in 1998, she had so many visitors she thought she would make her first million in a year if each of them spent a nickel. Curious customers wanted to see what was referred to as the "pakalolo store." Barr's store sells clothing, shoes and bath-and-body products made from hemp. But Barr faces a dilemma she shares with other hemp retailers and wholesalers: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration still considers all hemp a controlled substance. Hemp, which grows in a number of varieties, is a plant related to cannabis but doesn't contain high percentages of the chemical that gives marijuana its euphoric effect. The anger against the DEA is at its fiercest now, as hemp advocates fight a proposed DEA regulation expected to be enforced in October. The order calls for a ban of products that contain traces of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Industrial hemp is viable as a commercial crop because it is cheap to produce, creates durable goods and grows with minimum fuss, says Cindy Biggers, president of Hemp Industry Association in Hawaii. The hemp retail industry is estimated to be worth $150 million nationally. The United States imports all of its hemp and in 2000 brought in 1.9 million pounds of hemp fiber, 440,900 pounds of hempseeds, and 330,690 pounds of hempseed oil. Barr says proposed DEA measures threaten the livelihood of her store and the state's blossoming hemp-based industry. And nationwide, the hemp industry is expected to lose $40 million as a result. Many small businesses may have to close, according to the Hemp Industry Association. The hemp industry hopes to come up with some solutions to the DEA's stance at a conference to be held next week on Maui. Current imports of hemp products contain less than 1 percent of THC in its natural form, Biggers says. Nearly 50 percent of products sold at Barr's Hemp House are hemp-oil-based products, including an exclusive lotion line called "Absolutely Natural" that contributes to 25 percent of the store's $200,000 annual revenue. "Apart from selling Absolutely Natural at our store, last year we started wholesaling our lotion line," Barr says. "It just started building up and I was looking for it to be a big part of our revenue." Other Maui-based businesses like Pauhana Farm Candle and Hemp Stock will be affected by the DEA rule as well. Jenny Silva of Pauhana Farm uses hemp oil in her candles. In Hawaii, hemp-based raw material users include a handful of stores retailing natural products such as the Down to Earth chain and small-scale producers of soaps, lotions, resort wear and food products. The federal stance against hemp is nothing new. Industrial hemp cultivation was banned in the United States until December 1999 when a quarter-acre plot in Wahiawa was allowed to grow it for research. The Hawaii Industrial Hemp Research Project, headed by David West, began to grow European hemp varieties here. The project obtained $200,000 funding for the first two years from Alterna Applied Research Laboratories, a California company that uses hemp oil in its hair-care products. The Hawaii research received funding for another year from a mainland-based nonprofit. West would not disclose the amount or sponsor. West, an applied geneticist, is in the process of developing a root stock that can be used to grow industrial hemp in the state. The ideal prototype will be able to grow five cycles a year. Local advocates hope that the research will convince officials to allow the growth of industrial hemp in the United States. Rep. Cynthia Thielen, who was instrumental in bringing hemp research to Hawaii, says industrial hemp has potential to replace the sugar industry in Hawaii. But for that to happen, the federal government has to allow hemp's commercial cultivation and transfer its jurisdiction to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she adds. But even under the USDA, industrial hemp may not be on friendly ground. A report by the USDA concluded that because Canada allows industrial hemp production, an entry by the United States would saturate an already small market. "Uncertainty about long-run demand for hemp products and the potential for oversupply discounts the prospects for hemp as an economically viable alternative crop for American farmers," the report stated. Source: Pacific Business News (HI) Author: Prabha Natarajan Published: September 28, 2001Copyright: American City Business Journals Inc. Contact: pacific bizjournals.com Website: http://pacific.bcentral.com/pacific/Related Articles:DEA Not Hemp To The Jive http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7315.shtmlCannabis News Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by Cannabis Dave on October 05, 2001 at 13:45:08 PT The DEA is a terrorist organization. A quick glance at the current statistics demonstrates that most of the damage caused by "drugs" in our society, is caused by tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs, yet those substances are supported by our government using our tax dollars. Meanwhile they use our tax dollars to fight their immoral war against other kinds of drugs. Clearly the war on drugs is actually a war on SOME drugs, not all drugs, and the damage caused by the drugs has no bearing on weather they are included in their war on drugs. The prison industrial complex is BIG and getting bigger, fueled mainly by their war against CANNABIS. That the DEA spends billions against HEMP, a non-drug strain of cannabis, demonstrates the insanity of the war on drugs, and the immorality of the DEA. The DEA terrorizes innocent citizens, but I guess they are just "collateral damage" in their war against SOME drugs? The DEA is a terrorist organization, in my opinion. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on October 01, 2001 at 21:58:02 PT p4me, ya got that right 1 acre equal 1000 gallons of hemp oil...4 times a year...ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by p4me on October 01, 2001 at 21:19:12 PT: unbelievable What are they going to do about the clothing that people already have? Hunt them down like terrorist so the cotton, oil, and pulp industries can continue to block a simple little plant that can cut into their profits? There really is a problem with education in America. The voters need educating about the wonders of hemp. Stupid politicians spend millions pulling up wild plants. Thank you cannibusnews for telling us the stupidity coming from our government. Sickening isn't it? Was it here that the article appeared that said burning vegetable oil with deisel fuel lowered pollution by 78%? They sure do not want anyone mixing anything that would reduce oil profits even if it means cleaner air. That hemp industry couldn't be as ruthless as the oil industry. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by ekim on October 01, 2001 at 19:25:59 PT: lets get back to our roots For immediate release Contact: Nancy Essex 616-327-0108Worm Woman to New York"Worm Woman" Mary Appelhof (Kalamazoo, Michigan) will talk about garbage-eating worms at several venues in New York City in conjunction with the opening of "This Dirt Museum:The Ladies' Room," at Queens Botanical Garden Oct. 6, 2001.Appelhof is author of "Worms Eat My Garbage' and recognized internationally for her work over the past 30 years getting people to bring a colony of redworms into their own homes to turn their kitchen food waste into garden fertilizer. "It's simple, it's convenient, it's effective, and it's fun," says Appelhof.Naomi Dagen Bloom of Queens is so enthusiastic about how redworms in her kitchen turn garbage into black gold she arranged to honor the worms and the concept with an art exhibit and performances in the Plant Room at Queens Botanical Garden. People have sent knitted redworms from all over the world which Naomi will install in the exhibit, "This Dirt Museum."Botanical gardens in New York City have used Appelhof's books and videos for years in their educational outreach programs. A biologist and former biology teacher, Appelhof produced a popular classroom activities book, "Worms Eat Our Garbage: Classroom Activities for a Better Environment " which she estimates has introduced at least 5 million schoolchildren to the idea of worms eating garbage on site. Teachers and children will have the opportunity to hear Appelhof talk about worm composting at Staten Island Botanical Garden on Fri. Oct. 5, Queens Botanical Garden on Sat. Oct. 6, and at Brooklyn Botanical Garden on Mon. Oct. 8. Sunday Oct. 7 she will be in the Discovery Room at the American Museum of Natural History in their Meet the Scientist program."This Dirt Museum" extends from the Oct. 6 11:00 am opening through Oct. 21, with composting presentations each of the three weekends in The Plant Shop, Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, Queens, NY. Program Details: 718-539-LAWN, directions: 718-886-3800. Website: http://www.queensbotanical.org and http://www.cityworm.comThe Small Press Center at 20 West 44th Street will feature a window display on worm composting through the month of October. We will send further details about Mary Appelhof's presentations to anyone who requests it by sending their email address to nancy wormwoman.com Or call tollfree 866-327-0108."Worms Eat My Garbage," how to set up and maintain a worm composting system by Mary Appelhof, is available from Flower Press for $15.45 postpaid. Available by phone, mail, or from our website: http://www.wormwoman.comFlower Press 10332 Shaver Road Kalamazoo, MI 49024 616-327-7009The opt out option: I will be sending occasional notices about items I think may be of interest to worm workers who have corresponded with me at one time or another. If you do not want to receive further notices, you are welcome to opt out of this list by sending a message to: mary wormwoman.com with REMOVE in the subject line.The opt in option: If you wish to be added, and are not already on my list, please opt in by sending an email to mary wormwoman.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.Please forward this notice to anyone or any list you think may be interested, with apologies for duplications. After all, in an underground movement, some burrows may cross!Mary Appelhof -- Mary Appelhof, Author of "Worms Eat My Garbage" Flowerfield Enterprises 10332 Shaver Road Kalamazoo, Michigan 49024 USA PH:616-327-0108 FAX 616-327-7009 http://www.wormwoman.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on October 01, 2001 at 19:18:27 PT Paia like the hemp seed, is a good seed. Those that would cage you for selling hemp based lotion, are a bad seed. We may be the good seed. We must have what it takes to be the good seed. If you accept what is said on the 1st page of the Bible, continue to the next page. Gotta love being the good seed.Paia, nice, nice, very nice. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by The GCW on October 01, 2001 at 18:34:37 PT Complete loss of reality. IGNOIDS? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by silentone on October 01, 2001 at 17:33:23 PT: I completely agree I definitely believe in our natural-born rights as human beings to be free to choose how we live our lives, according to our beliefs. If we do not violate other's rights, then it should be so. If we violate other's rights, we should be punished for the crime, regardless if you are "coked" up. Using a drug to cover your motives has worked too long. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by mayan on October 01, 2001 at 13:10:06 PT Left Behind The war on drugs is mainly a war on marijuana. Marijuana is illegal just so the government can keep industrial hemp illegal. Every industrialized nation on the face of the earth grows industrial hemp, but here in the "land of the free" we are not allowed to grow it. Are we really free?Can't you see what is going on Americans? Do you care?Shouldn't the farmers be the ones to decide which crops they grow? Shouldn't the most useful,versatile plant on earth be allowed to flourish in our fields? The rest of the world is leaving you behind America [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on October 01, 2001 at 12:03:16 PT American taxpayers being asked to support Canada? But even under the USDA, industrial hemp may not be on friendly ground. A report by the USDA concluded that because Canada allows industrial hemp production, an entry by the United States would saturate an already small market. Hmm so let's analyze this situation.This means that American citizens are being repressed in their ability to grow hemp, at enormous taxpayer expense, basically to keep the price of hemp high for the Canadians already in the business?Ther's undoubtedly some very colorful term for that arrangement in the world of pornography. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on October 01, 2001 at 11:56:48 PT Hemp only gets the DEA high Hemp is obviously a POLITICALLY controlled substance.There's only one way that hemp can make people high.It makes the DEA get high on dreams of a bigger budget and more political power for their unelected agency over the voters of this supposedly free democratic nation.That's why hemp is a controlled substance.Because the DEA needs it so that they can control the social elements whom they don't like.This is a culture war being waged upon Americans by individuals who have never been elected to any office but still wield enormous political power in America, to the extent that plain ordinary rational thought itself has been vanquished as an opposition force. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment