-Caveat Lector- Dave Hartley http://www.Asheville-Computer.com http://www.ioa.com/~davehart ======================================== ARTICLE: Governor Jesse Ventura Announces Hemp Seminar AUTHOR: Governor Jesse Ventura, State Of Minnesota DATE: Tuesday, 5 October 1999, at 12:44 p.m. 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. Pubdate: September 30, 1999 (St. Paul, MN) Governor Ventura today announced that an informational seminar will be held on November 19, 1999, to teach 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.” Contact John Wodele: (651) 296-0001 ======================================== ARTICLE: State Plans for Hemp Farming AUTHOR: Conrad deFiebre, The Star Tribune, MN DATE: Tuesday, 5 October 1999, at 12:51 p.m. "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. Pubdate: September 30, 1999 Ventura seeks cooperation from resistant DEA 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. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. 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