Hemp
Bills
In
South
Dakota
and
New
Hampshire
Fall
Short
2/18/00
(courtesy NORML Foundation, http://www.norml.org) Pierre, SD: The South Dakota House of Representatives killed a bill (HB 1267) which would have allowed for the cultivation or industrial hemp. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Robert Weber (R-Srandburg), died in the House Agriculture Committee following testimony from both sides. Testimony given by law enforcement and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, with encouragement of Gov. William Janklow, proved to be most detrimental, even after an amendment was added to the legislation which said the provisions of the bill would not go into effect until the federal barriers on the cultivation of industrial hemp are lifted. "Governor Janklow demonstrated once more that he cares little for the plight of farmers," said Bob Newland, Chair of Mount Rushmore State NORML, who had spent the months prior to the 2000 legislative session drumming up support for the bill. "Here we had a chance to do something positive, something which would cost the taxpayer nothing -- would save the taxpayer money, in fact something which would tell the federal government that we wanted them to change their regulations." Following the defeat of HB 1267, Rep. Weber introduced House Concurrent Resolution 1015, urging the US government to remove its barriers regarding the production of industrial hemp. Mount Rushmore State NORML can be found online at http://www.nakedgov.com/mtrushnorml.htm. Concord, NH: A bill allowing for the cultivation of industrial hemp (HB 239) introduced last month in the New Hampshire House of Representatives by Rep. Amy Robb-Theroux (D-Claremont) was dealt an unofficial defeat last Thursday as House members sent the bill back to the Environment and Agriculture Committee to be studied further. Heavy lobbying by local law enforcement and opposition from both Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and the state attorney general was enough to sway the House members to all but kill the legislation. Law enforcement in the state continue to claim that planting industrial hemp would make it more difficult to enforce marijuana laws. "This is not marijuana," said Rep. Derek Owen (D-Hopkinton). "I don't know how you can tell it's terrible if we haven't even planted it yet." It is unlikely that this industrial hemp bill will return to the House this year.
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