Source: San Francisco Examiner Contact: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 BY MICHAEL PULLEY SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER WHEN JOSEPH MORANT decided to open a retail boutique of hemp clothes and fashion accessories, he was surprised to learn that no such stores existed in Marin County even though 86 percent of Marin's voters supported Proposition 215's legalization of medical marijuana. Therefore it was easy for Morant, 26, and his partner, Cameron Brown, 32, to decide to open Marin's first hemp storein Fairfax. Their store, Hemp Matters, will begin peddling hemp clothing, shoes, bags and cosmetics at 17 Bolinas Road on Friday. "Everyone I've spoken to has said you couldn't pick a better location to open a hemp store in America, said Morant. Actually, dozens of young entrepreneurs seem to think any location in the nation is good for hemp. Stores that sell products made from the hemp plant, or cannabis saliva, are spring ing up in virtually every city in 1 he country. Actor and hemp activist Woody Harrelson was on hand when The City's latest hemp outlet, FBHO, or Frankel Brothers Hemp Outfitters, opened in May at 3817 24th St. Hemp products are made from a variety of the marijuana plant that has no psychoactive qualities. Industrial use of the plant dates back to the dawn of civilization. It played a vital role in the founding of the United States when hemp was used for hundreds of items such as clothing and rope. U.S. law has always allowed importation of hemp fibers or seeds for industrial uses, but growing the benign variety of the plant is still illegal. Hemp got caught in the net of the antidrug sentiment that swept the country 60 years ago when Congress first declared war on pot with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937. Environmentally friendly Since then, hemp's association with marijuana and the counterculture has been a stigma blocking its mainstream acceptance Now the same association appears to be at the heart of a new trend as attitudes have changed. The growing acceptance of medical marijuana also has played a role in focusing attention on industrial hemp, as has hemp's many environmentally friendly qualities. The hardy plant can be grown with virtually no chemical pesticides or fertilizers, while cotton depends heavily on agricultural chemicals Some people call hemp a new fashion fad. Others claim it's a revolution in the making, but no one denies the explosive arrival of a fledgling industry that shows no signs of moving back into the closet. Sale of hemp products nationally are expected to top $100 million this year, a 100 percent increase over last year, according to the Hemp Industries A ociation, a 3yearold trade group based in the Sonoma County town of Occidental. Even large mainstream retailers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Adidas have added hemp wear to their merchandising mix. Designer Gianni Versace was working on a hemp clothing line before he was murdered. "I send out at least 100 directories to people every month who are interested in opening a store in every College Town, USA," said Candi Penn, a Hemp Industry Association board member and staffer. Burgeoning membership The association began in 1994 when about 50 hemp retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and importers joined forces for networking and support. Since then, membership has soared to 188. Twenty new retailers have signed on since Jan. 1. The next big development for the industry may be in political and legal arenas. At least 16 states are considering the legalization of hemp farming, according to a recent story in Hemp Times, a new magazine about the fastgrowing industry. Last year, the Vermont Legislature approved a study to determine the agricultural and market potential for hemp in that state. An Orange Countybased group known as the Campaign for Drug Policy Reform is considering an industrial hemp initiative for California's November 1998 ballot. Struggling U.S. farmers are emerging as the leading advocates for hemp agriculture.Last year the majority of the delegates at the national convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation voted in support of hemp farming. Regional groups like the Kentucky Hemp Growers Association and the Denverbased Agricultural Hemp Association are lobbying on the local level. They want to join hemp farmers in Canada, who were given the green light two years ago to start growing hemp again. Most U.S. hemp now comes from Eastern Europe and China. Farmers argue that hemp would provide badly need farm jobs, replenish chemically depleted soils and ease the U.S. trade deficit. It would also lower prices for hemp products and stir sales, since import duties account for as much as 10 percent of cost. Companies like International Paper and Weyerhuser are considering the crop's potential for paper and buildng materials. Hemp's chief opponent is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which argues that hemp farming would interfere with its war against marijuana. Advocates respond that the DEA is lighting a losing battle now that an issue once considered a liberal cause is crossing political boundaries. Economic Issue Raman Chauhan, 30, proprietor of a hemp manufacturing and importing company in Sacramento, is a Republican who is dismayed by conservative politicians who won't look at industrial hemp as an economic issue. "We should look at all the money leaving this country, going into foreign hands instead of our own economy," Chauhan said. "That should be the biggest issue for lawmakers." Chauhan entered the hemp business through a back door. Aarsea International, the firm he launched four years ago, began importing Asian handicrafts to wholesale to American retailers. Soon, sales of hemp Tshirts and other hemp products outpaced all other merchandise offered by Aarsea. Customers were rave stores and other faddish outlets that catered to Generation Xers. Sensing an opportunity, Chauhan established a manufacturing firm in Nepal, where he employs 50 Tibetan refugees to make hemp clothing and accessories for American stores under the trademark Himalayan Hemp. One of his most popular items is a Betsy Ross American flag made from hemp, the fiber Ross herself used when she aewed the original stars and stripes . The industry's retailers claim their customers are as diverse as the versatile hemp plant's fast growing product lines."It's across the board," said Bob Frankel, one of two brothers who own FBHO. "I have kids in their late teens buying hats and twine and stuff. Then I have older women in their 60s buying a lot of the garments." Hemp sellers tend to view their trade as more than just business. They also consider themselves political and environmental advocates, and they figure they have a key role to play in touting the plant's benefits to a naive, somewhat skeptical public. As Morant works to open Hemp Matters, curious people interrupt him every day, asking "Is this legal? How did you get it into the country?" "I'm not afraid of telling anyone I've inhaled," he said. "I think if I didn't have a passion for the plant, I probably wouldn't be opening a hemp store now. And my passion for the plant is in enjoying its benefits to humanity, whether they're recreational, medical or industrial." .. ..