cannabisnews.com: DEA Does Homework on Hemp Foods After New Rule 





DEA Does Homework on Hemp Foods After New Rule 
Posted by FoM on January 22, 2002 at 16:22:45 PT
Press Release
Source: U.S. Newswire
The Hemp Industries Association -- http://www.thehia.org -- representing over 250 companies and small businesses, learned last week that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has hired a Northern Virginia consulting firm to investigate the size and scope of the hemp foods market which has been doubling every year for the past five years and is presently estimated to be over $5 million annually. IFC Consulting contacted the HIA on behalf of the DEA for the first time, more than three months after the DEA announced a new rule that purports to ban hemp food products containing any infinitesimal trace THC beginning February 6th.
"It is very disappointing that the DEA waited this long to research the rapidly expanding hemp foods industry that is creating jobs and promoting highly nutritious foods for healthier lifestyles," said David Bronner, Chairman of the Hemp Industries Association's Food and Oil Committee. Industry attempts to initiate a dialogue with the DEA were ignored over the course of last year before DEA issued its "interpretive rule" October 9. "This is the latest evidence that the DEA's interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is purely a political decision not based on any real insight or awareness of the well-established hemp foods industry, and purposely ignores the relevant science and law which exempts non-viable hemp seed and oil from DEA's control, just as poppy seeds are," says Bronner. According to the official Health Canada detection protocol, most hemp seed and oil in the U.S. market have undetectable THC, and hemp food vendors and retailers intend to continue selling hemp foods after February 6th.Hemp seed has a well-balanced protein content, a substantial amount of vitamin E, and the highest content of essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any oil in nature: EFAs are the good fats that, like vitamins, the body does not produce and which doctors traditionally have recommended eating fish and flax to obtain. Thus, hemp seed and oil are increasingly incorporated as ingredients in a myriad of natural foods to boost their nutritional profile. U.S. companies are currently manufacturing cereals, waffles, pretzels, chips, salad dressings, bread and granola bars, among other products, that contain hemp seed or oil. Hemp seeds are harvested from industrial hemp plants grown in Canada and Europe under strict regulatory regimes and have no potential psychoactive "drug" effect and do not interfere with drug testing even when unrealistic amounts are eaten on a daily basis see: http://www.testpledge.com Poppy seeds, commonly consumed on bagels, contain harmless trace opiates (that have historically interfered with workplace drug tests), and DEA has sensibly not attempted to override the Congressional exemption of poppy seeds from the statutory definition of "opium poppy" in the CSA even though natural opiates in themselves are controlled elsewhere in the CSA.Internal Department of Justice (DOJ) documents obtained by Vote Hemp through the Freedom of Information Act show that the DEA was instructed by the DOJ (of which DEA is part) in March of 2000 not to restrict the import of hemp seed and oil: "Hemp products intended for human consumption have THC at levels too low to trigger a psychoactive effect and are not purchased, sold or marketed with the intent of having a psychoactive effect." The original memo from John Roth, Chief of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the DOJ, to Donnie Marshall, Acting Administrator of the DEA, is available upon request (an identical letter was also sent to U.S. Customs by Roth). Patrick Goggin, a San Francisco based attorney who is local counsel for the industry's legal team seeking relief on behalf of affected companies in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, says: "The Roth memo shows the DEA knows hemp seed and oil is harmless, but they are acting to the contrary. We've filed a motion to stay the new rule while our lawsuit is considered, but the court has not yet issued a decision."The 10-year-old global hemp market is a thriving commercial success. Unfortunately, because DEA's drug-war paranoia has confounded the biologically distinct non-psychoactive industrial hemp varieties of cannabis with the psychoactive marijuana varieties, the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing and processing of industrial hemp.Please visit: http://www.votehemp.com to read scientific studies of hemp foods and see court documents. For 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: DEA Does Homework on Hemp Foods After New Rule Announced Source: U.S. NewswirePublished: Tuesday January 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 U.S. Newswire Website: http://www.usnewswire.com/Related Articles & Web Site:FTE's Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmHemp Imports Run Afoul of DEA Rulehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11773.shtmlCanadian Company Will Sue http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11762.shtmlHemp-Food Makers Fight U.S. Ban http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11745.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 25, 2002 at 14:14:32 PT
Thanks Richard!
That was very nice of you! I sure appreciate it!
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Comment #5 posted by Richard Lake on January 25, 2002 at 13:24:50 PT:
HOT OFF THE 'NET
Click the link!*smile*
DrugSense Weekly
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Comment #4 posted by spokk on January 24, 2002 at 08:43:31 PT
medieval times
when i was a small child, i wondered how people could be so dumb to tolerate inquisitions, witchhunts and so on during the medieval times. now i see the point.
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Comment #3 posted by Dan B on January 23, 2002 at 00:32:49 PT:
Is Anyone Surprised?
The only surprising thing about this article is the fact that the DEA actually did begin to look into the hemp industry in light of its own policies. The fact that they waited so long is not a surprise. That fact that they ignored the very loud pleas of the hemp industry on this matter is also no surprise. And when they conclude that hemp might one day cause a false positive on a drug test (even though such an occurence is far less likely than, say, a false positive from poppy seeds) and therefore must remain illegal, well, that won't be a surprise either.The DEA is notorious for examining all the evidence, then completely disregarding it and doing what they want anyway. Don't hold your breath on this one. If they actually decide to reverse their policy, that will be the biggest surprise of all.Dan BP.S. Hey, there's hope here. I'm just saying that I'll believe it when I see it.
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on January 22, 2002 at 17:31:23 PT
buffoons
Why would the DEA let logic get in the way of politics? Has the DEA ever used logic? Even their acronym makes no sense! How does an administration enforce drugs? These intellectually bankrupt buffons are merely puppets of the petrochemical power brokers that have hijacked our government. The rest of the free world is progressing but the U.S. is being left behind with its heavy-handed,polluting ways. It's a sad state of affairs in "The land of the greed & the home of the slave."
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Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on January 22, 2002 at 16:45:46 PT
Inquisition for Hemp
Should this travesty be put in effect despite any logic, I feel that every company involved should sue the DEA. Ever heard of restraint of trade?
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