Colorado Hemp Initiative Project Update --- June 21, 1996
Industrial Hemp News
As you may know, the Colorado Hemp Production Act of 1996, a bill that would have allowed the regulated cultivation of low-THC (industrial) hemp, passed all the way thru the Senate this year but was killed by the House Agriculture Committee in April. The Colorado industrial hemp bill was killed by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA's position is that hemp and marijuana are the same thing and that allowing the production of hemp would send the wrong message to young people. The DEA refuses to let farmers grow industrial hemp. Despite this opposition, the Colorado Hemp Initiative Project will continue its public education campaign to promote hemp as an alternative, natural, and renewable resource. CO-HIP will also attempt to educate citizens about the abuses of the federal DEA in interfering in the state legislative process.
The hemp bills in Hawaii and Vermont both became law this year. These bills call for research into the feasibility of hemp cultivation, but no actually test plots of hemp will be grown.
The industrial hemp bill in Missouri was killed.
The Navajo Nation in Arizona is considering hemp cultivation this year. Contact the
Coalition for Hemp Awareness
for more info.
How You Can Help:
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Become informed about industrial hemp so you can educate your friends, family, neighbors, and others.
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Write letters and make phone calls to elected officials.
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If you do not live in Colorado, contact your own state representatives to see if any of them would be willing to sponsor a bill.
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Contact your state legislators to see what their position is on industrial hemp. We will need a new sponsor for the Hemp Production Act in Colorado in January. (Almost all the legislators who voted for the bill this year have retired from the legislature).
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Contact your federal representatives and ask them to put pressure on the DEA to back off from their position on industrial hemp. The DEA has no authority to regulate hemp. Farmers in the U.S. grew hemp during World War II without interference from federal law enforcement. And the laws regarding marijuana are exactly the same then as they are now. The law does not need to be changed, only the DEA's strong-handed opposition needs to change. Our federal legislators should have enough influence over the DEA if enough people demand it.
Hope for next year:
In 1995, one state introduced hemp legislation. In 1996, 4 states introduced hemp legislation. Hopefully, in 1997, there will be several more states which jump on the hemp wagon.
If you have money and not time:
You can donate to CO-HIP so we can continue in our educational efforts. Our organization is run completely by volunteers in our spare time. Money is used to pay for copies, postage, and phone calls. Checks can be made payable to CO-HIP
Until our next update, remember:
"You can always tell a federal agent is lying when his mouth is open."
Colorado Hemp Initiative Project P.O. Box 729 Nederland, CO 80466 (303) 448-5640
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Email CO-HIP