Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jan 2007
Source: Summit Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2007 Summit Daily News
Contact: http://apps.summitdaily.com/forms/letter/index.php
Website: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587
Author: Stan White
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp)

AP STORY PROVES VALUE OF HEMP FARMING

It was encouraging to read "Man Aims To Become Licensed Hemp Farmer" 
(Jan. 15) on the Summit Daily News website's AP section about David 
Monson in North Dakota who may be allowed to grow hemp (though he has 
to be fingerprinted and pay the Drug Enforcement Administration's 
annual registration fee of $2,293, which is non-refundable even if 
the application is denied).

Encouraging, because U.S. farmers have been prohibited from growing 
hemp since World War II, when the U.S. government needed American 
farmers to produce hemp to help save America due to its value for 
human survival.

Since the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco 
effectively ended the Federal Government's attack on hemp food 
products in 2004, Americans may now purchase hemp products, yet 
American farmers are excluded from cultivating the plant. Locally, 
citizens may purchase hemp food products available at Alpine Market 
in Frisco, although the hemp in those products must be imported.

American farmers are unable to compete in the free world market due 
to unfair DEA laws prohibiting hemp cultivation. The U.S. is almost 
the only developed nation that doesn't allow its farmers to grow 
hemp. In fact, communist Chinese farmers grow hemp (nearly 2 million 
acres), and neighboring Canada's hemp industry doubled last year 
where hemp had a better profit outlook than any other Canadian crop in 2006.

Although hemp seeds and oil contains Gamma Linolenic Acid, which 
contributes to a strong immune system and is only available from five 
obscure places including mother's milk, hemp cultivation isn't 
limited to food products. Hemp should and could get more attention as 
an alternative fuel especially considering the original diesel engine 
was designed to run on hemp seed oil.

Currently American hemp cultivation is gaining support from all 
political parties and since hemp can grow almost anywhere including 
harsh climates like Canada and North Dakota; it can grow in Colorado.

It is time to re-introduce hemp as a component of American 
agriculture and to help achieve that goal, citizens can request 
congressmen support American farmers and hemp cultivation. Urge 
Congress to refuse funding the DEA's enforcement actions against 
law-abiding, state-licensed industrial hemp growers as these bills 
may arise this summer.

Eastern Colorado farmers may even consider supporting Amendment 44 
type election ballot questions in the future, which legalize cannabis 
(marijuana / kaneh bosm) since it stands to reason, if citizens may 
use cannabis with THC then farmers may cultivate hemp with 
practically no THC. Further, farmers might consider how the Federal 
government has unfairly treated them and support hemp farming.

To allow ignorant politicians to continue prohibiting hemp farming 
isn't leading, it's draining; vote for politicians who get it and do 
what is right for America, Earth and our solar system.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman