Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2015
Source: New Mexican, The (Santa Fe, NM)
Copyright: 2015 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Contact: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/SendLetter/
Website: http://www.santafenewmexican.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/695
Author: Milan Simonich

SENATE COMMITTEE MOVES HEMP BILL FORWARD

Representative: Measure Is 'All About Business'

A bill to legalize marijuana previously went down in flames, but a 
separate measure for commercial use of hemp in New Mexico breezed 
through its first legislative test Tuesday.

The Senate Conservation Committee voted 9-0 to advance the Industrial 
Hemp Farming Act. Committee members voted to move the bill forward 
without recommendation because it was modified a bit just before the 
hearing began.

State Sen. Cisco McSorley, the sponsor, said Congress already has 
approved a Farm Bill that permits states to proceed with research 
projects on hemp.

Hemp is still illegal under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act for 
general use, but McSorley said that is likely to change soon.

"We're anticipating the federal government to OK production for 
commercial use in the next couple of months," said McSorley, D-Albuquerque.

He said the Legislature is "virtually unfettered" in putting the 
state Department of Agriculture in charge of research, and then 
allowing it to license commercial growers if and when Congress 
removes hemp from its list of illegal drugs.

A dozen people at the Conservation Committee hearing testified in 
favor of McSorley's bill. No one opposed it.

Hemp fibers can be used in an array of products, including carpeting, 
construction materials and household goods. One woman at the hearing 
showed senators a handsome tan briefcase that was made from hemp.

Unlike marijuana, the hemp bill is all about business, not 
recreational drug use, said state Rep. Bealquin Gomez, D-La Mesa, who 
testified before the committee.

"I'm here in support of agriculture," Gomez said.

Sen. Bill Payne, R-Albuquerque, initially was skeptical about 
advancing the bill with hemp still classified as an illegal substance 
by the federal government. Payne, though, relented after a staff 
member of the state Department of Agriculture said 19 states already 
were proceeding with hemp research, as allowed by Congress.

McSorley said his bill would position New Mexico farmers to grow a 
valuable crop once all the federal restrictions are lifted.

Jessica Gelay of the New Mexico Drug Policy Alliance was among those 
who endorsed McSorley's bill. Without it, she said, "New Mexico 
farmers are simply missing out because we have outdated drug laws."

The bill would allocate $100,000 for the regents of New Mexico State 
University, the state's land grant university, to establish a seed 
bank and seed certification program for hemp. An additional $50,000 
would be appropriated under the bill for the state Department of 
Public Safety to train officers to identify industrial hemp.

A similar bill for agricultural use of hemp has been introduced in 
the House of Representatives by Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas, D-Albuquerque.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom