Pubdate: Fri, 20 Jun 2014
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: KristenWyatt, The Associated Press
Page: 9A
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp)

HEMP SEEDS HEADED TO COLORADO SEIZED AT BORDER

(AP) - Hundreds of pounds of industrial hemp seeds bound for Colorado 
from Canada have been seized by federal authorities, marking the 
latest bump along the road to legalization of marijuana's 
nonintoxicating cousin.

At the center of the dispute is hemp activist Tom McClain. Armed with 
a copy of last year's federal Farm Bill, which allowed states to 
permit hemp cultivation for research and development, he set off for 
Manitoba and bought 350 pounds of seeds.

Hemp is legal in Canada. However, under the Farm Bill, importing hemp 
seeds requires permission from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

McClain's seeds were confiscated Saturday at the border crossing in 
Hansboro, N.D., after he declared the seven bags in his trunk.

"The shipment is currently undergoing scientific evaluation, as hemp 
seeds can look much like marijuana seeds," U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement spokesman Shawn Neudauer said.

Hemp is prized for oils, seeds and fiber, but its production had been 
prohibited because the plant can be manipulated to enhance the 
intoxicant found in marijuana.

McClain and Jason Lauve of the Colorado activist group Hemp Cleans 
have appealed to congressional representatives to resolve the seed 
flap in North Dakota. Colorado has accepted more than 40 
hemp-cultivation applications. But the state has a 
"don't-ask-don't-tell" policy about the origin of the seeds used in the work.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom