History of the Colorado Industrial Hemp Production Act of 1995

The bill was sponsored by Senator Lloyd Casey (D-Northglenn), a 68-year-old peace and social justice activist.

The bill would have allowed and regulated the cultivation of industrial (low-THC) hemp by Colorado farmers. This was the first time industrial hemp legislation had been written and submitted to a state legislature.

January 25, 1995

Bill introduced to the Senate Agriculture Committee
The introduction of the bill gained wide media attention. CO-HIP began a massive public phone call campaign to the committee members. The campaign was so effective that we were asked by Senator Casey to "call off the dogs" because the Committee members were getting too many phone calls.

February 9, 1995

Hearing on SB-132, the Colorado Hemp Production Act
All of the testimony was from those who were in favor of the bill, including:

Thomas Ballanco, David Martin, Laura Kriho: CO-HIP

Professor Thomas Reed, Colo. School of Mines

Bob Winter, President, Weld County Farm Bureau

Chris Conrad, Hemp Industries Association

Corky Millard, M.D. Expert on Essential Oils

The hearing went very well. The committee members took us very seriously. A vote was delayed until next week.

Febuary 16, 1995

Second Part of Hearing on SB-132
All of the testimony this day was against the bill, including:

The Denver Police Department
The County Sheriffs of Colorado
Drugwatch, International
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The DEA (in an official letter faxed to the committee members 2 hours before this hearing.)

The letter from the DEA was very threatening and intimidating, and it ultimately killed our bill (see related documents). An amended version of the bill, to set up a hemp study commission, was killed 4 to 3. The bill itself was killed 6 to 1.

However, the bill gave us momentum and connections in the agricultural community. More importantly, it gave us credibility. We are continuing our outreach and education efforts, working toward the re-submission of the bill in January 1996.

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