Vermont hemp farming bill becomes law
MONTPELIER, Vt. — The controversial hemp farming bill in Vermont took an opinion from the state’s attorney general to become law.
The Vermont secretary of state’s office accepted Formal Opinion #2008-1 from the office of the attorney general and gave H.267, the Hemp for Vermont bill, the designation of Act No. 212 June 27.
There had been a constitutional controversy as Gov. Jim Douglas forwarded H.267 to the secretary of state intending it to become law without his signature.
The bill had overwhelmingly passed both the House (127 to 9) and the Senate (25 to 1).
The new law sets up a state-regulated program for farmers to grow nondrug industrial hemp, which is used in a wide variety of products, including nutritious foods, cosmetics, body care, clothing, tree-free paper, auto parts, and building materials.
CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
Farm Scene Hemp FarmingBy DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer Thursday, August 17, 2006
California farmers could legally grow industrial hemp under a bill approved by the state Senate that distinguishes it from a widely grown distant cousin: marijuana. Hemp "bears no more resemblance to marijuana than a poodle bears to a wolf," said Sen. Tom McClintock, a Republican. "You would die from smoke inhalation before you would get high." He said industrial hemp was improperly lumped into the ban on marijuana in 1937 after it had been grown commercially for decades by American farmers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The legislation, which passed 26-13 and now goes back to the Assembly, would require that the hemp crop be tested before harvesting to make sure it has only a trace amount of tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC, the drug in marijuana. No matter the concentration of THC, hemp currently can't be legally grown in the United States without a difficult-to-get permit from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The bill attempts to avoid federal restrictions by requiring farmers to sell the hemp only to California processors to avoid any interstate commerce that could bring federal intervention. The crop can be used in a variety of products, including clothing, cosmetics, food, paper, rope, jewelry, luggage, sports equipment and toys. As food, supporters say it is high in essential fatty acids, protein, B vitamins and fiber. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has opposed legalizing hemp cultivation, saying hemp crops could be used to hide marijuana cultivation by mixing the two plants in the field. The Senate debate produced a bumper crop of California stereotype jokes, several aimed at McClintock, an outspoken conservative who carried the bill in the Senate for it author, liberal Democratic Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco. "There must be some mistake," Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, a Democrat, told McClintock, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. "You'll get a parade in San Francisco."
FOR THE COMPLETE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE
ARTICLE ON THE VERMONT LAW
" North Dakota is the only other state that has done the same thing. Hemp already is grown legally across Canada and in many other parts of the world. It was outlawed in the United States in 1937, although it was grown for industrial uses during World War II. Tom Murphy of the group Vote Hemp says it's time to end the prohibition again, especially with oil prices so high. He says hemp could be used for fuel that's made from plants - what's known as cellulosic ethanol. (Murphy) "It would be an excellent choice for cellulosic ethanol. There are cellulosic ethanol tax credits in the new farm bill. And industrial hemp, if it were able to be grown in the United States, would be a good fit along with other crops such as switch grass and fast-growing wood that is being used and considered for cellulosic ethanol.'' (Sneyd) The Legislature was told that hemp could also be used as a fuel source in power plants, replacing or supplementing wood chips."
CLICK HERE FOR EVIDENCE OF HEMP CELLULOSTIC BIOFUEL CAPACITY
|