-Caveat Lector-
Subject: Gov. Ventura seeks cooperation from resistant DEA
Date: Thursday, September 30, 1999 11:00 AM
THE STAR TRIBUNE
Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 30, 1999
State Plans for hemp farming
Ventura seeks cooperation from resistant DEA
By Conrad deFiebre
Minnesota is moving ahead with efforts to allow its farmers to
grow industrial hemp, a close cousin of marijuana that proponents say
could offer an alternative crop with high potential.
Gov. Jesse Ventura is expected to write to federal drug
authorities today outlining his plan for implementing pro-hemp state
legislation enacted last spring.
His plan, however, calls for cooperation from the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), which wields full authority over
controlled substances and has strongly opposed reviving the U.S. hemp
industry.
Meanwhile, fierce debate continues over whether hemp offers
enough commercial potential to justify the costly security controls
likely to be imposed on its cultivation.
Controls are in store because DEA officials and hemp enthusiast
agree on one thing: Food- and-fiber-producing hemp and smokable
marijuana are nearly indistinguishable varieties of the same Cannabis
plant, differing only in their content of the psychoactive ingredient
tetrahyrocannabinol (THC).
Ventura�s letter is expected to propose that would-be hemp
farmers apply for permits through the state Board of Pharmacy and the
DEA. But the rules for commercial hemp cultivation in Minnesota would
be set by the DEA, which so far has had one simple rule: Don�t do it.
�The policy has not been changed,� Tom McCormick, head of the
DEA�s Minneapolis office, said Wednesday. �But we are seriously
looking at it right now. The decision will be coming out of
Washington.� It could come in less than a year, he said.
The government�s review has been accelerated by growing interest
in hemp production. Pro-hemp laws were enacted this year in
Minnesota, Hawaii, Nebraska and North Dakota. North Dakota, in fact,
is farther along the hemp trail than Minnesota, having reclassified
hemp as an oilseed crop. It also has enacted provisions for growing
and processing hemp.
But even if the DEA allows hemp crops, it�s unclear how
profitable they may be. Some critics raise specters of the Jerusalem
artichoke scam that ravaged rural Minnesota in the 1980�s.
�There may well be zero market for this stuff,� said Minnesota
Public Safety Commissioner Charlie Weaver, who has consulted with
state trade and agriculture officials to shape Ventura�s hemp policy.
�But we have an obligation to be helpful to those folks who are
interested.�
Hemp seeds produce an oil that can be used to make tofu, butter,
cheese, salad oils and other foods. Hemp fiber can be used to make
clothing, ropes, paper, particle-board products and more.
But even �Hemp John� Birrenbach of St. Paul, an avowed marijuana
advocate, said, �There are marketing and processing problems.�
In addition, mandatory security measures probably would cut
deeply into producers� profits.
McCormick said the DEA likely will require farmers to post bonds
of up to $1,000 an acre to pay for government seizure and burning of
hemp that crosses a THC threshold of about 0.3 percent. THC levels of
0.5 percent or greater are considered potent, he said. Hemp farmers
also probably would have to pay license fees for criminal background
checks and government inspections, he added.
Subject: GOV. VENTURA ANNOUNCES HEMP SEMINAR
Date: Friday, October 01, 1999 11:17 AM
STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA
130 Capitol, 75 Constitution Avenue
Saint Paul, Minneapolis
For immediate release:
September 30, 1999
GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA ANNOUNCES HEMP SEMINAR
Contact John Wodele: (651) 296-0001
(St. Paul, MN) � Governor Ventura today announced that an
informational seminar will be held on November 19, 1999, to reach
individual farmers how to apply for a permit to grow industrial hemp.
The time and venue of the seminar will be announced in the next two
weeks.
The informational seminar is in response to legislation passed by the
1999 Minnesota Legislature requiring the state to apply by September
30 for a federal permit to grow industrial hemp. The Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) recently informed Minnesota officials that a state cannot
apply for a general blanket permit. Rather, individual farmers must
apply directly to the DEA and the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy for a
permit to grow experimental plots of industrial hemp.
Minnesota Agriculture Commissioners Gene Hugoson and Trade and
Economic Development Commissioner Jerry Carlson will co-host the
November 19 seminar, giving farmers tips on how to apply for the
federal and state permits they will need to grow experimental plots.
They will also discuss any special conditions DEA has set for lawful
cultivation of the crop.
The Governor also sent a letter to President Clinton today, in which
he explained the state�s interest in industrial hemp production and
the need for federal cooperation in the matter. With the continuing
low prices for traditional commodities such as corn and soybeans,
Governor Ventura said the seminar and letter represent another step
toward the goal of providing profitable alternatives to Minnesota�s
struggling agriculture community.
�Farmers are facing a lot of challenges right now, and it�s our role
in state government to do what we can to give them the economic tools
they need to succeed,� Governor Ventura said. �We see industrial hemp
as another item they might want to add to their toolbox. It may not be
the answer for everyone, but it has potential as an alternative to
traditional crops.� (END)
Subject: Ventura to Clinton: "Stop over-regulating hemp crops!"
Date: Friday, October 01, 1999 12:02 PM
STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JESSE VENTURA
130 Capitol, 75 Constitution Avenue
Saint Paul, Minneapolis
Contact: John Wodele (651) 296-0001
September 30, 1999
The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Clinton:
It is no secret that farmers in Minnesota and around the country
are looking for creative answers to the farm crisis. Prices for corn,
soybeans and other commodities continue to wallow far below break-even
levels, and for an alarming number of producers, the financial crunch
is devastating. Minnesota farmers pride themselves on their
self-sufficiency, and as days go by, more and more of them are looking
for new ways to attack the price problem. For many, the idea of
growing alternative crops is attractive.
The 1999 Minnesota Legislature passed a law directing the
Governor, in consultation with the Commissioners of Agriculture and
Economic Development, to prepare an application to the federal
government to authorize growing experimental and demonstration plots
of industrial hemp. After researching the federal permitting process,
we learned that individual producers must apply on their own, and that
a state cannot apply for a general permit.
In the next few weeks, my administration will hold a public
meeting to talk with interested farmer about the state and federal
permitting process required to grow industrial hemp. We are also
exploring opportunities to streamline the permitting process. The hope
is that experimental plots will one day lead to an exciting economic
opportunity for Minnesota farmers to produce this potential
alternative crop that once thrived around the world.
Industrial hemp is a hardy crop that was once grown around the
world for a wide variety of uses. In America, it was grown during
World War II for fiber. Today, industrial hemp products are being sold
across the nation, yet few states have actually passed legislation
allowing the crop to be raised.
Industrial hemp has a number of uses, ranging from construction
materials and cosmetics to papers and textiles. According to a study
completed by North Dakota State University�s Institute for Natural
Resources and Economic Development, retailer sold $75 million in hemp
products in 1997. This figure is estimated to grow to $250 million by
next year. Clearly, additional research and development needs to be
done with regard to marketing and processing opportunities, but I
believe that industrial hemp can become a lucrative alternative for
Minnesota farmers.
Our neighbors in Canada are ahead of us in the effort to
establish industrial hemp as an alternative crop for farmers. They
have already given their producers the opportunity to grow industrial
hemp, and I understand their process is working well. Given the
success we have seen in Canada and the continuing economic challenges
Minnesota farmers face, I am anxious to move forward on the
opportunity to grow experimental and demonstration plots of industrial
hemp. I look forward to the day when our producers can grow this crop
as a profitable alternative to corn, soybeans and wheat. I anticipate
that a crop of industrial hemp from Minnesota could be used to fulfill
many of the 25,000 documented uses for this crop.
I realize the production of industrial hemp raises concerns in
the area of public safety. I have asked the Commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Public Safety to work with the DEA to address
those concerns directly. However, as we address those concerns we must
be careful not to over-regulate or make industrial hemp production
prohibitively cost for farmers � otherwise all our efforts could be
wasted.
I look forward to working with DEA and the Minnesota Board of
Pharmacy, which regulates the use of controlled substances, to ensure
that our producers can grow experimental plots safely and without
unnecessarily burdensome regulations. Our producers are looking for
economic alternatives, and government should not stand in their way. I
hope that by working together in a fair and rational manner, we can
create a viable opportunity for industrial hemp production in
Minnesota.
Sincerely,
Jesse Ventura
Governor
cc: U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
Drug Enforcement Agency Acting Administrator Donnie Marshal
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