INTRODUCED BY  Ray Begaye  A MEMORIAL  REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO STUDY  THE VIABILITY OF A LEGAL HEMP INDUSTRY;

URGING CONGRESS TO  RECOGNIZE INDUSTRIAL HEMP AS A VALUABLE AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY  AND TO TAKE CERTAIN OTHER ACTIONS.

WHEREAS, industrial hemp refers to varieties of Cannabis  that have less than three-tenths of one percent  tetrahydrocannabinol, are genetically distinct from drug  varieties of Cannabis and are cultivated exclusively for fiber,  stalk and seed; and  WHEREAS, industrial hemp should not be confused with  varieties of Cannabis that have high concentrations of  tetrahydrocannabinol and are commonly referred to as marijuana;  and  WHEREAS, industrial hemp is commercially produced in more  than thirty nations, including Canada, Great Britain, France,  Germany, Romania, Australia and China; and  WHEREAS, annual sales of hemp food in the United States  are growing rapidly and industrial hemp seed prices are good  and yield is medium to high; and  WHEREAS, in Canada, without irrigation, eight hundred  pounds of seed per acre is average, and with irrigation, yields  may increase to one thousand six hundred to two thousand pounds  per acre; and  WHEREAS, industrial hemp is a high-value, low-input crop  that is not genetically modified, requires no pesticides, can  be dryland farmed and uses less fertilizer than wheat and corn;  and  WHEREAS, many farmers view industrial hemp as a versatile  and valuable agricultural commodity that will have long-term  economic benefits to the farmers who produce the hemp and the  persons who use hemp in the production of twine, rope,  textiles, paper products, building materials, including  plywood, concrete, insulation and roofing, animal bedding,  automobile parts, plastics, fuel, including biodiesel and  butanol, cosmetics, foods, nutritional supplements, body care  products and more;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF  REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico  department of agriculture be urged to undertake an in-depth  economic analysis study that will address the viability of a  legal hemp industry in New Mexico. The New Mexico department  of agriculture is urged to review the long-term impacts of a  permitted hemp industry and the costs of establishing proper  permitting and licensing procedures. The economic analysis  study shall attempt to determine the costs and benefits  associated with encouraging economic development in various  areas, including textiles, pulping products for paper,  biocomposites and building materials, animal bedding,  nutritional products for livestock, industries related to seed  extraction and resins for potential biofuels, lubricants,  paints and inks, cosmetics, body care products and nutritional  supplements; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States congress be  urged to recognize industrial hemp as a valuable agriculture  commodity, to define industrial hemp in federal law as a nonpsychoactive  and genetically identifiable species of the genus  Cannabis and acknowledge that allowing and encouraging farmers  to produce industrial hemp will improve the balance of trade by  promoting domestic sources of industrial hemp and can make a  positive contribution to the issues of global climate change  and carbon sequestration; 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be  transmitted to the director of the New Mexico department of  agriculture, the president of the United States, the federal  secretary of agriculture, the chair of the United States senate  committee on agriculture, nutrition and forestry, the chair of  the United Stated house of representatives committee on  agriculture and each member of New Mexico's congressional  delegation.

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SPONSOR Begay  ORIGINAL DATE  LAST UPDATED  02/28/07  03/05/07 HB HM 49/HAGC 

SHORT TITLE

Study Legal Hemp Industry SB  ANALYST Williams  APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)  Appropriation Recurring  or Non-Rec  Fund  Affected  FY07 FY08  NFI  (Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)  SOURCES OF INFORMATION  LFC Files  Responses Received From  New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) 

SUMMARY  Synopsis of HAGC Amendment  The House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee amendment to House Memorial 49  changes the references to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to the New Mexico State  University Board of Regents and would transmit a copies of the memorial to the Dean of the  College of Agriculture and Home Economics at NMSU (rather than the director of the New  Mexico Department of Agriculture).  Synopsis of Original Bill  House Memorial 49 notes the value of and current market conditions for industrial hemp. The  memorial urges the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) prepare a detailed  economic analysis of the potential for a legal hemp industry in New Mexico. The study is to  include long-term impacts, cost of establishing proper permitting and licensing procedures, an  analysis of costs and benefits and consideration of the various market uses of industrial hemp  and associated products.  In addition, the memorial urges the United States Congress to recognize the value of industrial  hemp as an agricultural commodity, to define industrial hemp in federal law and to acknowledge industrial hemp production in improving the nation’s balance of trade and in contributing to  improvements in global climate change and carbon sequestration.  Copies of the memorial would be sent to the director of the New Mexico Department of  Agriculture, the President of the United States, the secretary of the United States Department of  Agriculture, the chair of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and  Forestry, the chair of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and  the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation. 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS  The memorial does not include an appropriation.  SIGNIFICANT ISSUES  House Memorial 49 proponents make the argument that industrial hemp is a high-value, low-input  crop that is not genetically modified, requires no pesticide, can be dry-land farmed, and  uses less fertilizer than some other crops.  ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS  NMDA notes the Department would incur costs to undertake this study, because the agency does  not typically conduct this type of research and does not have expertise in the area of industrial  hemp. NMDA would need to engage university partners to produce the study. 

Hemp for raw materials and oil as base material for food and construction is the only solution out of the unsustainable mess we have created.

Hemp was made illegal in 1937 through a conspiracy of prominent industrials and because of the perjury, lies, racism and blasphemy of a man named Harry J. Anslinger.