We believe that four state legislatures are likely to pass legislation this year that would allow farmers and researchers to grow industrial hemp. In California, New Hampshire, Oregon and North Dakota business leaders, farmers and legislators are backing legislation that would bring back hemp farming almost 50 years after the crop was taken away from farmers who grew the versatile plant for centuries.

"Hemp farming has become a lucrative crop for farmers in Europe, Canada and Asia, so farmers here are asking 'Why are we being left out?'" says Alexis Baden-Mayer, Director of Government Relations for Vote Hemp. "The states considering hemp legislation this year are serious about the issue despite the federal government's de-facto ban on hemp cultivation that stems from misguided marijuana prohibition. Regardless of the federal ban, state legislators are listening to farmers and business owners who think the federal restrictions are not based on scientific arguments -- and actually hurt U.S. economic interests since it is legal to import, process, sell and consume hemp seed and hemp fiber products."

For thousands of years different varieties of Cannabis have been cultivated for non-drug uses such as paper, textiles, soap, food, building materials and more recently high-tech bio-composites used in automobiles. Hemp and marijuana come from different varieties of the Cannabis plant. "Because there are at least 1.5 million cars on the road with hemp door panels, tens of millions of dollars are spent annually on hemp food and hemp body care, and hemp paper is being made here in the U.S., people are asking tough questions about why the U.S. government won't distinguish low-THC hemp from high-THC drug varieties. I believe there will be federal legislation soon to address needed reforms," says Baden-Mayer.

Highlights of State Hemp Legislation:

Over the past decade at least twenty-five pro-hemp bills have been considered by state legislatures and fourteen have become law. Five states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia) allow for hemp farming on a commercial or research basis.

Bills being considered this year include:

California -- Assembly Bill 1147 would give farmers the right to apply for state licenses to grow low-THC varieties of hemp. The law would be similar to regulations on industrial hemp in other countries such as Canada and the European Union. The University of California would also conduct research on industrial hemp.

New Hampshire -- House Bill 55-FN-A would let farmers apply for a state license to grow industrial hemp. Qualifying farmers must have no criminal convictions and plant at least five acres per year. Only hemp seed sold to farmers by the NH Commissioner of Agriculture would be approved for planting to ensure only low-THC varieties of the plant are grown.

North Dakota -- House Bill 1492 passed the House on February 16, passed the Senate on March 1, and is awaiting action by the Governor. HB 1492 allows North Dakota State University to start storing "feral hemp seed" in preparation for the day it becomes legal to grow industrial hemp in the U.S. The vote was 87-3 in the House and 46-0 in the Senate. In 1999 North Dakota was the first state to pass hemp farming legislation, but to date the state has not challenged federal supremacy over the issue in the courts.

Oregon -- Senate Bill 294 permits production and possession of industrial hemp and trade in industrial hemp commodities and products. The bill authorizes the State Department of Agriculture to administer a licensing, permitting and inspection program for growers and handlers of industrial hemp.

Visit state legislation page for up-to-date information on all hemp legislation introduced since 1995:

http://www.VoteHemp.com/legislation.html

The Congressional Research Service report, entitled "Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity," is available online here at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/RL32725.pdf

 HempFarm.com Comments: The Diesel engine was invented by Rudolph Diesel and it was meant by him to be run on  vegetable oil, not mineral oil.

Now, after a good hundred years, we (in the western world) are totally dependent on (mostly) foreign oil. And, we can see the consequences of this in pre-emptive wars for this invaluable resource and increased geo-political pressure to 'mine the black gold' as it is a monopoly by the virtue of the suppression of vegetable oil and hemp oil in particular.

Andrew Weil, MD calls hemp oil; "Natures Perfectly Balanced Oil." Aside from all of this, diesel engines run on vegetable or hemp oil do not pollute the environment with trace minerals that are in mineral oil as in mineral. Also it is much better for the engine and it in turn increases the life span of the diesel engine and it runs cleaner and smoother. A hemp seed crop can yield up to 300 Gallons per acre.

Hemp is also an excellent wood replacement as wood prices will continue to go up and forests are cut thin or clear. Additionally there is a shortage in raw materials and wood and paper making materials in general world-wide. It is yet unclear if a pillage of China and its resources would postpone our dire destiny; a hopelessly polluted planet in the grip of global warming set in motion by the suppression of hemp that started in the US in 1937.

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