cannabisnews.com: Hemp Education 101 





Hemp Education 101 
Posted by CN Staff on April 22, 2003 at 13:51:48 PT
By Karel Sovak, Editorial Correspondent
Source: Minot Daily News 
If the most important thing about real estate is "location, location, location," then Robert Robinson believes the most important thing for industrial hemp is "education, education, education."Robinson, director of Modern Hemp, and members of Vote Hemp displayed some products and offered taste samples of "Hemp Crunch" and "Hemp Nuggets" and Alpsnack Nutrition Bars on Monday in Minot near the DEA office in an attempt to garner public opinion to "Just Say No" to the Drug Enforcement Agency's ban on hemp.
The DEA's "Final Rule" ban would have gone into effect on Monday, ending the legal sale of hemp seed and oil products in the United States. The ruling, issued on March 21, 2003, was petitioned for appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court in March.The Ninth Circuit Court blocked the DEA hemp ban on Friday, allowing the continued sale of food and other hemp products.Robinson said the stay was simply good for business."What we are doing is looking to educate people about the products and to show that hemp can be a legitimate industry," Robinson said. "There's this big hype that flax is the perfect oil, but medically and biologically speaking, that's not the case. The body consumes the EFA's (essential fatty acids) Omega 6 and Omega 3 elements in oils at a 3 to 1 ratio and flax is almost the opposite, at 1 to 3. Hemp seed is about that perfect 3 to 1 ratio. We just wanted to show people some of the products and educate everyone on the benefits of the products."The Hemp Industries Association estimates annual retail sales of hemp products at more than $105 million in the United States, with global retail sales at more than $250 million. The United States is the only major industrialized nation to prohibit the growing of industrial hemp.Robinson said North Dakota is primed to bring manufacturers into the state to begin processing hemp because of the existing infrastructure. He said the ruling puts confidence back into the equation."We are less than an hour from the Canadian border and we have the ability to process a lot of the [hemp] fibers that flax is presently utilizing," Robinson said. "We also have excellent highway systems and railways to transport the products. We don't want the farmers worrying about how they are going to get this to market, nor have manufacturers not look to North Dakota as a source because no one is planting the crop. Now, we can finally start looking at getting some of these facilities in our state. We're working to get two test sites going in the state, one south of Minot and one in Fargo."The sites would be part of a $55,000 grant NDSU received to grow the hemp crops and provide additional information for research purposes. Robinson said a lot of misconceptions still exist about hemp."Once we develop these sites, which will be the first in the nation since 1958, there will be more information available on hemp than ever before," Robinson said. "There is a huge difference between industrial hemp and marijuana. They are two completely different plants. They are both members of the cannabis family, but so is hops, which is used in so many of our beers."An organization called "Vote Hemp" likens the difference between the two plants as similar to the difference between the breeds of St. Bernard's and Chihuahuas.Canada started to license research crops in 1994 and by 2001, 92 Canadian farmers grew 3,250 acres of organically certified hemp crops. Overall, about 26 countries allow hemp to be grown and produced. Romania is the largest commercial producer of hemp in Europe, while France is the major source for the low-THC producing hempseed. The Ninth Court ruling indicated the trace of THC is "infinitesimal" in hemp seed. The decision was equated to the exemption of poppy seeds, which can contain traces of opiates.Joe Sandler, counsel for the HIA, said the ruling provides retailers and consumers with a reason to continue to stock, sell and consume hemp products."The Court's order effectively prevents the DEA from enforcing its 'Final Rule,'" Sandler said. "With this stay in effect, all those who sell, import, manufacture, distribute and retail edible hemp oil and seed products can continue in those activities secure in the knowledge the products remain perfectly lawful."Robinson said that 17 states are currently in the process of legalizing industrial hemp and others are applying for grants . He added area farmers can benefit greatly by adding the diversity of the hemp plant to their crop rotation."North Dakota is still agricultural based and the farmers are the life bread of our economy," Robinson said. "We have the potential to develop this industry in North Dakota and create more jobs in Minot. Once we get the DEA approval on the test plots, we'll be able to show what North Dakota can do in this market. We've had tremendous support in the area and I think it is because people realize what the benefits will be to farming and manufacturing." Note: Hemp supporters encouraged by court's stay on ban.Source: Minot Daily News (ND)Author: Karel Sovak, Editorial CorrespondentPublished: April 22, 2003Copyright: 2003 Minot Daily NewsContact: editor ndweb.comWebsite: http://www.minotdailynews.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Hemp Industries Associationhttp://www.thehia.org/Vote Hemphttp://www.votehemp.com/Cannabis News Hemp Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htmNinth Circuit Court Blocks DEA Hemp Rule http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15993.shtmlGet Your Fill of Hemp While It's Still Legalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11547.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by palmspringsbum on April 23, 2003 at 12:11:52 PT:
That's quite an article
to come out of that tiny little newspaper in that tiny little town.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 22, 2003 at 22:10:11 PT
Related Article from Snipped Source
Court Puts a Hold on Hemp Food BanItems containing substance found in pot can still be sold pending reviewWednesday, April 23, 2003Local retailers can continue to sell food products that contain hemp -- at least for the time being -- after a U.S. appeals court said it would review a federal ruling making such products illegal.The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency decided last month to prohibit foods that include a substance called tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC, which is found in marijuana. A small amount is also in industrial hemp, but not enough to produce a high.The DEA's ruling would have gone into effect Monday, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay last week allowing businesses to make and sell hemp foods until it can review the DEA's decision.Snipped:Complete Article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/118749_hemp23.html
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 22, 2003 at 20:13:57 PT
ekim
Happy Earth Day to you too!
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 22, 2003 at 19:47:25 PT
ekim
I told Matt today that it has been many years since I've gone away just to have a good time. My husband found out the Neil Young will be in Ohio on our 30 wedding anniversary this summer and we are going to go. I am so excited. It's not until June but I'm excited just the same. I really like this song.http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_powderfinger.ram
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on April 22, 2003 at 19:19:52 PT
man every State should have a Hemp program
Crosby. Stills, Nash, Young ----American Dream --side 2 Clear Blue Skies -- kept me kozy today while handing out many flyers of Cnews clippings of new book Reffer Madness and Hemp Ban lifted. happy happy Earth Day 
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on April 22, 2003 at 16:30:45 PT
Hemp Car
It is so amazing that Henry Ford built a car out of hemp in 1941! I believe it also ran on hemp fuel. Just imagine what our technology could do today! By the way, FoM...Neil Young is touring with his "Horse" again. Can't wait!Henry Ford's "Hemp" Body Car(short video) 
http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/misc_ford.htmlHenry Ford's Biomass Car:
http://www.electricemperor.com/eecdrom/HTML/EMP/09/ECH09_15.HTMHere's a drug-war related article from http://www.freepress.org that some here may find of interest...The rise of authoritarianism and the racist drug war:
http://www.freepress.org/columns.php?strFunc=display&strID=339&strYear=2003&strAuthor=3The way out is the way in...The truth about 9/11:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jpdesm/pentagon/investigation77.htm9-11: A Spectacular Deception?
http://www.feralnews.com/issues/911/dewdney/index.htmlThe World Trade Center Demolition and the So-Called War on Terrorism:
http://www.serendipity.li/wtc.htmlThe Silence about 9/11:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/042203A.shtmlWas 9/11 Allowed to Happen?
http://www.wanttoknow.info/911timeline2pg9/11 CitizensWatch:
http://www.unansweredquestions.net/911citizenswatch/
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 22, 2003 at 15:22:47 PT
i420 
Thanks! I turned on Headline News and maybe I'll get see it. We are listening to Neil Young while I'm looking for news and here are a few songs if anyone is interested.http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_powderfinger.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_cowgirl.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_country.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_cortez.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_sugar_mountain.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_mansion.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_razor_love.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_to_fly.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_tonights_the_night.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_transformer.ramhttp://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20020622_wesat_nyoung_tulsa.ramVideo:http://demand.stream.aol.com/wmg/us/wbr/neilyoung/nyoung_goinghome_450.wmv
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Comment #1 posted by i420 on April 22, 2003 at 15:00:24 PT
HEMP ON TV
CNN just did a small spot on the dEA's attempt to ban hemp.
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