Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
A bill that would allow California farmers to grow non-psychoactive hemp passed the Assembly May 10 and now heads to the state Senate, where it is also expected to pass. A similar bill passed the legislature last year, only to be vetoed by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine), AB 684 would pave the way for California farmers to eventually -- not immediately -- grow the plant, which is used to make food, clothing, paper, body care, bio-fuel, and auto products. If the bill were to be signed into law, industry organizations like Vote Hemp and the Hemp Industries Association, as well as the California Certified Organic Farmers, have vowed to challenge the federal ban on hemp planting.
Schwarzenegger cited the federal ban when he vetoed last year's hemp bill. He claimed it would put farmers in jeopardy of federal prosecution. But proponents of this year's bill are hopeful the governor will relent.
"Passage of the hemp farming bill in the Assembly is a sign it is likely to reach Governor Schwarzenegger's desk for the second year in row," said Vote Hemp legal counsel and San Francisco Attorney Patrick Goggin. "The mood in Sacramento is this bill is consistent with California's effort to be leader on US environmental policy. Hemp is a versatile plant that can replace polluting crops such as cotton and is taking off as an organic food and body care ingredient. It is time to jump into the expanding market for hemp that California companies currently import from Canada and elsewhere."
American hemp product manufacturers currently have to import their raw material from China, Canada, or one of the more than 30 other countries that allow hemp production. It is the only crop that is illegal to grow in the US, but legal to import.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
hemp in California
Recently I saw an episode of one of the care rebuilding sites on TV, maybe "pimp my ride" where Arnold was invited to see the car. He got to boast about the biofuels, the car was converted for (diesel engine in a super sport). At the same time he was exposed to the fact that the interior, seats and all, was done with hemp fabric (better known as burlap?) I could not help but thinking that he was the one who vetoed the bill last time through. Has he learned anything new? Or does he still think that the industrial hemp is a dangerous comodity? The biofuels use on this episode were from canola oil. But the hemp also can be used to produce biofuels, and many other products. Maybe he will think more about economic independence, energy independence and boost to the economy of California this time! Instead of thinking about the ignorant ideas spread by anti-drug people that would not know the difference between hemp and pot!
In reply to hemp in California by Anonymous (not verified)
Arnold also joking said he
Arnold also joking said he was calling LAPD for arrest them for having hemp seats, cuz someone might smoke them up going down the road. He went on and on like he was against it. It was Pimp My Ride. Xzibit's an awesome host.
":Schwarzenegger cited the
":Schwarzenegger cited the federal ban when he vetoed last year's hemp bill. He claimed it would put farmers in jeopardy of federal prosecution."
If the bill requires the farmers to do whatever they need to to comply with the federal regs too, what's the governor's problem? There's no federal ban per se, there's just a discretionary registration procedure, and another procedure to get a type of product exempted.
California hemp bill
GEORGE WASHINGTON GREW HEMP!!!!!!!!!!!! But I guess Arnie would not know this.
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