Also...in case you didn’t know - we offer a 20% discount to our myspace friends (cannot be used with other special offers - the code is on our profile).
Today's editorial: Say yes to industrial hemp Governor should sign bill OKing it as a crop.
An Orange County Register editorial
September 17, 2007
Once again the state Legislature has passed a bill, Assembly Bill 684, authorizing California farmers to grow industrial hemp. Last year the governor vetoed a similar bill. This year he should sign it enthusiastically, for several reasons.
The least-important reason is that this year's version was modified to take into account law enforcement concerns. Thus hemp fields will have to be registered with their GPS locations and will be subject to state testing for THC levels. And the program is limited to four agricultural counties - Imperial, Kings, Mendocino and Yolo - and it has a "sunset" date, making it a pilot program instead of a statewide free-for-all.
The emotionally complicating factor, of course, is that hemp is another term for cannabis, which is the proper biological term for marijuana. Until a court decision last year, federal regulators interpreted marijuana prohibition to outlaw hemp production, despite the fact that hemp is grown commercially in China, Hungary, Ireland, Canada and elsewhere without serious complications.
But hemp grown for industrial purposes is grown differently than and is readily distinguishable from cannabis grown for the flowers and buds that contain significant quantities of THC and other intoxicants the government has decided people are not allowed to smoke. Hemp grown for fiber is planted close together, grows up to 16 feet tall and is typically harvested before any buds appear. So there's no real problem distinguishing a hemp field from an illicit marijuana patch.
Hemp is grown because, as researchers have been learning (and relearning) since the early 1980s, the plant is one of the most commercially useful crops around. Its fiber is among the strongest natural fibers known, and have been used for centuries to make cloth, paper, building materials and more.
It is absurd that California farmers are not allowed to grow this useful crop.
A couple of years ago the only Republican who endorsed this return to free enterprise was Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of Irvine, who was discerning enough to investigate the facts about hemp rather than basing his opinion strictly on emotion and habit. This year, seven Republicans supported a bill that is fully consistent with the principles of freedom of enterprise that most Republicans support.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has eloquently expressed recently the importance of being open to new ideas. There's no reason he shouldn't be open to this not all that new but very good idea.
GOV. Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to make California roads a bit safer Thursday by signing SB33, by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. That bill will make it illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to use a cell phone, text-message device, laptop or pager. The new restrictions will go into effect July 1, 2008.
Even though legislators remain in special session on two of the year's biggest issues - health care and water - they produced enough measures in the regular session to keep the governor busy in the coming weeks. As of Thursday, he had 188 bills awaiting his signature or veto.
In the spirit of public service, we offer the governor a reminder of our positions on some of the bills awaiting his verdict. These measures merit his signature:
[snip]
-- AB684, by Leno, would establish a 5-year, 4-county pilot project for hemp farming. This should provide enough time for those who don't know the characteristics of hemp to ease their concerns. It's not a drug; it is a plant with many uses and many economic opportunities for the state.
You can express your views to Schwarzenegger via e-mail at governor@governor.ca.gov.
This article appeared on page B - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle
AB 684, the CA Industrial Hemp Farming Act, Passed the Senate & Assembly!
September 12, 2007 — Thank you for responding to Vote Hemp's recent emergency CA Action Alert. Because of the barrage of phone calls, faxes and emails that you generated, the Senate leadership felt enormous pressure to give the California industrial hemp bill a vote. Democracy has prevailed! The legislature respected the will of the 71% of California voters who want to change state law to let farmers grow industrial hemp by passing AB 684 out of both the Senate and the Assembly last night.
In the Senate, the vote was 26-13, with 1 not voting. Four Republicans voted for the bill: Senators Aanestad, Maldonado, McClintock and Denham. Bi-partisan votes like this are hard to come by in the sharply-divided California legislature.
In the Assembly, as of 3:41 AM PST, the vote was 46-27, with 6 not voting. Republican ayes were Assemblymembers Adams, DeVore and Niello (who had voted against the bill last time around). Not voting were Assemblymembers Blakeslee, Garrick, Runner, Carter and Maze.
This may not be the final vote tally, but the bill definitely will go to the Governor.
Within the next few days we will be asking for your help in the final stretch as we seek the Governor's signature. As you may know, we made it this far last year, only to have Gov. Schwarzenegger veto our bill. Everything is different this time around, so we are very optimistic. The hemp industry has never been stronger, making it a better time than ever for California farmers to enter the market. And, we re-drafted AB 684 to respond to each of the concerns the Governor cited when he vetoed the last version of the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act, AB 1147.
Finally, we would like to extend a special thanks to Assemblymember Leno, Staffmember Bart Broome, Patrick Goggin, Steve Levine and everyone else on the Vote Hemp California team for all their hard work on this effort.
Please stay tuned for future alerts and news. About Vote Hemp
Vote Hemp is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is non-psychoactive, low-THC varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Web Site: http://www.votehemp.com
Support Vote Hemp
Vote Hemp depends on your donations to support our work. Please consider making a donation today. Donate Now: http://www.votehemp.com/contribute_email.asp
Vote Hemp, Inc. Alexis Baden-Mayer Director of Government Relations email: alexis@votehemp.com phone: 202-744-0853
Despite claims based on information that is both outdated and disseminated by entities influenced by the government and money....that hemp & marijuana are the same... ********************************************************************* hemp (industrial hemp) is NOT the same as marijuana. *********************************************************************
At one time industrial hemp and marijuana were the same plant...but have since been propogated to be different plants. One has significant levels of THC (marijuana) and one only has trace amounts(hemp).
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
get it before its gone! 40% off already reduced prices ends today!
40% off already reduced prices ends this evening!
We're liquidating our current inventory (sale items) to make way for 70+ new items that we've added to the store. With coupon code 408070126 you can save 40% off the already reduced prices. Most of these items have a limited quantity and once sold, will most likely not be available again. This offer can not be used with price match guarantee, other discount offers, or on regular priced items.
If regular priced items are purchased in combination with sale priced items and the 40% off discount voucher is used...the discount on regular priced items will be adjusted back to the original price (no discount) prior to processing your order.
This is an exclusive offer for our MySpace friends and newsletter subscribers only and will end at 6PM Friday 08/31/07
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
We're liquidating our current inventory (sale items) to make way for 70+ new items that we've added to the store. With coupon code 408070126 you can save 40% off the already reduced prices. Most of these items have a limited quantity and once sold, will most likely not be available again. This offer can not be used with price match guarantee, other discount offers, or on regular priced items.
If regular priced items are purchased in combination with sale priced items and the 40% off discount voucher is used...the discount on regular priced items will be adjusted back to the original price (no discount) prior to processing your order.
This is an exclusive offer for our MySpace friends and newsletter subscribers only and will end at 6PM Friday 08/31/07
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
Saving the Earth begins with 1 eco-friendly step even if you've had your doubts about how serious the problem may be, you may have begun to acknowledge a link between increased greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and climate change..... READ MORE
Sony Develops A Bio Battery Powered By Sugar Sony has developed a biologically friendly battery that generates electricity from sugar in a way that's similar to what's found in living organisms....READ MORE
Pet products go green From biodegradable doggie poop bags to eco-friendly cat toilet seats, an environmentally aware animal marketREAD MORE
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
Saving the Earth begins with 1 eco-friendly step even if you've had your doubts about how serious the problem may be, you may have begun to acknowledge a link between increased greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and climate change..... READ MORE
Sony Develops A Bio Battery Powered By Sugar Sony has developed a biologically friendly battery that generates electricity from sugar in a way that's similar to what's found in living organisms....READ MORE
Pet products go green From biodegradable doggie poop bags to eco-friendly cat toilet seats, an environmentally aware animal marketREAD MORE
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
Saving the Earth begins with 1 eco-friendly step even if you've had your doubts about how serious the problem may be, you may have begun to acknowledge a link between increased greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and climate change..... READ MORE
Sony Develops A Bio Battery Powered By Sugar Sony has developed a biologically friendly battery that generates electricity from sugar in a way that's similar to what's found in living organisms....READ MORE
Pet products go green From biodegradable doggie poop bags to eco-friendly cat toilet seats, an environmentally aware animal marketREAD MORE
Visit us online at www.EarthFriendlyGoods.comfor hemp, organic & natural products and check out our blog for new, interesting, and useful green living news.
