Representative Cynthia Thielen, Assistant Republican Floor Leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives, wrote: > I recently returned from Washington, DC where I met with Congress > members and government officials about industrial hemp. I learned > that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will be publishing its > new rules shortly in the Federal Register. This email is a warning to > you in the industrial hemp industry, and I ask you to forward it to > others who may be affected by these DEA regulations. > > 1. DEA INTERPRETIVE RULE. First, the DEA will be interpreting the > Controlled Substances Act and its own regulations as declaring any > products that contain any amounts of THC to be a Schedule 1 > Controlled Substance, even though such products are made from portions > of the cannabis plant that are excluded from the definition of > marijuana. However, the DEA also will publish in the Fed. Register a > Proposed Rule and Interim Rule, the latter of which will create > exemptions to its Interpretive Rule. Otherwise, as DEA notes, its > Interpretive Rule standing alone would declare as "controlled > substances" a wide variety of cannabis derived products historically > allowed by the federal government. For example, hemp based paper, > hemp clothing, hemp rope, and bird seed containing hemp all would be > considered a Schedule 1 controlled substance under the DEA > Interpretive Rule if they contained any > trace amounts of naturally occurring THC. > > 2. PROPOSED RULE. DEA's Proposed Rule will revise the wording of > its own regulations so that THC refers to both naturally occurring THC > and synthetic THC, making both Schedule 1 marijuana under the > Controlled Substances Act. > > 3. INTERIM RULE. DEA's Interim Rule will exempt portions of the > cannabis [industrial hemp] plant from control to the extent such > products are not used or intended for use for human consumption. DEA > concedes that hemp paper, clothing and rope "legitimately used" cannot > result in THC entering the human body. Hemp animal feed (including > birdseed) is included in this category. [I credit Kenex for winning > the "birdseed war" and letting trade resume for this product.] > > 4. Personal care hemp products are in question. Since hemp based > shampoos, lotions, etc. come into contact with the human skin, DEA > evidently searched for evidence that THC could be absorbed into the > skin. However, lacking such evidence at this point, those hemp > products are not yet outlawed. However, if comments on the new rules > claim that THC is absorbed into the human body from personal care > products, then I believe DEA will take steps to outlaw them. This is > evidenced by DEA's action in considering hemp lip balm as a Schedule 1 > Controlled Substance in its rules, and therefore hemp lip conditioner > will be prohibited in the USA. Body Shop, please take note!! > > These proposed rules have been reviewed and evidently approved by the > US Justice Department, DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy > (ONDCP). A July 10, 2000 letter from Barry McCaffrey (ONDCP) to > Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink shows where the federal government is > coming from, and I quote in part from Mc Caffrey's letter: > ... > "Many allege that hemp products are only those that are made from > the portions of the Cannabis sativa L plant that are excepted from > the definition of 'marijuana' in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). > However, industrial hemp products have historically referred to rope, > canvas, machine oil, paper, cloth, and oil used in paint and varnish. > Such products were thought not to contain tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), > the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and were made from various > fibrous plants, including plants such as Cannabis sativa, banana and > jute. The United States also has a long history of importing sterile > Cannabis sativa L seeds (commonly referred to as hemp seeds) for use > as bird and animal feed. Recently, however, Cannabis sativa L seeds > and oil, pressed from those seeds, have been imported for human > consumption in various forms of hemp products. These later offerings > include topical solutions, as well as products specifically designed > for ingestion. Such applications for human consumption are > confounding [McCaffrey's word] our Federal drug control testing > programs, if they contain THC, and are of significant concern." > .... > > Once these DEA proposed rules are published in the Federal Register, > you will have 30 days to comment on them. I urge those of you who > will be impacted by the proposed ban on hemp products made for human > consumption to immediately contact your US Congress members. Ask them > to immediately contact Janet Reno, US Attorney and Mr. Donnie > Marshall, DEA Administrator to object to these proposed rules which > will make hemp consumables a Schedule 1 substance. > > The rules apparently will be published in August. Please get to work > on this now! > > Aloha, > Representative Cynthia Thielen > Assistant Republican Floor Leader > Hawaii House of Representatives > tel. (808) 586-6480 > fax (808) 586-6481 > email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
