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Re: Industrial Hemp



I do believe that George Washington grew industrial grade hemp.

---- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Trail" <ttrail@moscow.com>
To: <vision2020@whale.fsr.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 9:29 AM
Subject: Industrial Hemp


>
>
> Visionaries:
>
>
>  An article in the Tribune recently appeared concerning my bill to
legalize
> industrial hemp.  I've
> received more than 50 calls on this subject.   Since there is considerable
> interest in the subject
> I thought it best to share a position paper on the subject.   Industrial
> hemp has
> >over 25,000 uses.   The first Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemp and
> >the first U.S.
> >constitution and the Declaration of Independence were printed on paper
> >made from hemp.  Hemp
> >was legal tender in the U.S. from 1631 to the early 1800s.
> >
> >It would give our farmers a good alternative crop.   It is
environmentally
> >friendly requiring no
> >fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides,   It is a good rotation crop with
> >no weeds in the field following
> >harvest.  The deep root penetration is favorable for soil conditions.
It
> >makes excellent
> >cover for game birds and wild game.   Canadian farmer are growing about
> >60,000 acres.  Hemp
> >seed production runs about 800-1,000 pounds per acre with the current
> >contract price at U.S.
> >50 cents.  With minimum inputs we're looking a very viable alternative
> >crop for farmers.  Hemp
> >can produce up to 10 tons of fiber per acre or about 4 times more than an
> >acre of timberland.
> >If enough acres of hemp were grown it might serve as a replacement for
> >some of our forestlands.
> >The long hemp fiber is especially sought for high grade paper and the
hemp
> >paper is an excellent
> >recycable material.  High grade carpet is made from industrial hemp as
> >well as car parts by BMW.
> >High energy candy bars are made from industrial hemp seed and are low fat
> >in content.   Most
> >bird seed contains industrial hemp hulls which contain 25% protein.
Other
> >uses include cosmetics,
> >facial oil, building materials, bioenergy uses, and fuel to run trucks
and
> >tractors.
> >
> >Pat Takasuga, Director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, his staff
> >and I met on Thursday.
> >We agreed to draft a bill.   The bill patterned after proposed North
> >Dakota Legislation will be more
> >comprehensive than the legislation already adopted or being debated by 10
> >other states.  I'm
> >calling the bill The Bast Fiber and Alternative Crops Bill.  Industrial
> >Hemp is a member of the
> >Bast Fiber group (which includes jute, flax, etc.)  The Department of
> >Agriculture is responsible
> >for setting the rules and regulations at any point a new alternative crop
> >is introduced into Idaho.  These require legislative approval.   If the
> >above bill becomes law then it will save the DOA
> >a considerable amount of time in moving ahead with the farming community
> >in ensuring that
> >we can introduce new crops following all of the legal procedures.  It may
> >save up to a year of
> >legislative time.   I call it "jump start" legislation.   Industrial Hemp
> >is but on of those new
> >alternative crops that might be considered.   There will also be an
> >appropriate component of the
> >bill that places responsibility on the Director in terms of following all
> >of the legal restrictions
> >imposed say by DEA on the growing of Industrial Hemp.   We also have a
> >section outlining
> >the research role of the College of Agriculture at the University of
Idaho
> >in terms of any alternative
> >crops.
> >
> >There appears to be some cracks on the horizon in terms of legalizing
> >industrial hemp.   DEA
> >recently granted a permit for a coop in Hawaii to grow 10 acres of
> >industrial hemp as a trial.
> >The Canadian experience is proving to be at the onset very successful as
> >they go into their 3rd
> >year of production.   I understand that Sen. Larry Craig's Senate Ag
> >Committee will hold hearings
> >this year on the possible legalization of growing industrial hemp.   Part
> >of the proposal would be to
> >put it under the control of USDA.   USDA would then collaborate through
> >MOU's with State
> >Departments of Agriculture to ensure a uniform standard and policy for
> >growing, licensing,
> >testing, and monitoring the growing of the crop.   Currently no one can
> >grow industrial hemp
> >without a permit from DEA.
> >
> >I believe that the Canadian example might well be the model to follow.
> >An organization called
> >Health Canada controls the licensing and monitoring process.   Interested
> >farmers pay for an
> >application to grow industrial hemp.   Their field coordinates are noted
> >and receive a geo positioning
> >fix and are monitored by satelitte.  Only certain types of hemp seed can
> >be planted.  4 weeks
> >after planting inspectors monitor the field, pull a certain number of
> >plants, and take tissue samples
> >Plants are also pulled about two weeks before harvest and tissue samples
> >are taken.   Tissue samples
> >are tested for THC.  If the THC in the samples tests too high then the
> >field cannot be harvested.
> >The Canadians seem to have this well under control.
> >
> >DEA seems to almost paranoic that marajana growers will plant their
> >patches in the middle of
> >an industrial hemp field.   The Canadians report this is not a problem
> >since the fields are regularly
> >monitored both by satelitte and inspectors.   It would also appear that
> >those wanting to find a
> >place to plant marajana would select a more suitable hiding place than
one
> >under constant
> >inspection.  Although I've not been able to verify it,   it may be able
to
> >"finger print" different
> >types of hemp using aerial flights with infrared technology.   This could
> >be another way of
> >ensuring that only industrial hemp was in the field.
> >
> >The Farm Bureau and several of the Idaho Associations of Small Farmers
are
> >in favor or the
> >legislation.   I've been contacted by several small business who have to
> >import hemp.  They
> >would like to have access to local and cheaper domestic sources.   We
> >currently important about
> >$75,000,000 worth of hemp into the U.S.   World wide trade in industrial
> >hemp exceeds a billion
> >dollars.   The U.S. Government encouraged the growing of industrial hemp
> >during World War
> >II and there may have even been a subsidy program.
> >
> >In conclusion,   the legislation would be one of the steps needed to help
> >our farmers grow.
> >a viable, alternative crop.   Breeding and testing work will be needed,
> >but we can borrow genetic
> >technology from our Canadian friends.    The development of marketing
> >studies and that of the
> >necessary infrastructure would all be challenges to ensure the future
> >success of any alternative
> >crop.   There will be an interesting debate over this issue.
> >
> >Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 5
> >
>
> Dr. Tom Trail
> International Trails
> 1375 Mt. View Rd.
> Moscow, Id. 83843
> Tel:  (208) 882-6077
> Fax:  (208) 882-0896
> e mail ttrail@moscow.com
>
>




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