Oregon Passes Hemp Bill (46 to 11)

[kpete]

Source: PR News Wire

Oregon Passes Hemp Bill


Becomes Sixth State in 2009 to Take Action

State Pressure to Grow Hemp Continues to Mount as Business Booms

SALEM, Ore., June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, by a vote of 46 to 11, the Oregon House passed SB 676, a bill that permits production and possession of industrial hemp and trade in industrial hemp commodities and products. "I am glad that Oregon has joined the list of states that have agreed that American farmers should have the right to re-introduce industrial hemp as an agricultural crop," says SB 676 sponsor, Sen. Floyd Prozanski. "By passing SB 676 with strong bi-partisan support, the Oregon Legislature has taken a proactive position to allow its farmers the right to grow industrial hemp, to provide American manufacturers with domestically-grown hemp, and to profit from that effort." The Oregon Senate passed the bill by an overwhelming majority vote of 27 to 2 on June 19. Vote Hemp is optimistic that Governor Kulongoski will sign the bill. Oregon would become the ninth state to authorize regulated hemp farming under state law.

"The time has come for the federal government to act and allow farmers to once again grow hemp, so American companies will no longer need to import it and American farmers will no longer be denied a profitable new crop," comments Vote Hemp President, Eric Steenstra. "Under current federal policy, industrial hemp can be imported, but it cannot be grown by American farmers. Hemp is a versatile, environmentally-friendly crop that has not been grown in the U.S. for over fifty years because of a misguided and politicized interpretation of the nation's drug laws by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While a new bill in Congress, HR 1866, is a welcome step, the hemp industry is hopeful that President Obama's administration will recognize hemp's myriad benefits to farmers, businesses and the environment," adds Steenstra.

Many businesses in Oregon manufacture, market and sell hemp products, including Living Harvest, The Merry Hempsters, Wilderness Poets, Earthbound Creations, Sweetgrass Natural Fibers, Sympatico Clothing, Mama's Herbal Soaps and Hempire. Living Harvest of Portland was recently ranked the third-fastest-growing company in Oregon, as awarded by The Portland Business Journal's "Fastest-Growing Private 100 Companies" annual award.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity to invest in hemp processing and production locally," says Hans Fastre, CEO of Living Harvest. "This bill represents another step towards heightening the hemp industry's profile within mainstream America and making hemp products more accessible to businesses and consumer

Read more: http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-29-2009/0005052347&EDATE=

[pleah]

1. K&R Wow! 46 to 11!

Cool!

[patrice]

2. Just a little Hemp butter in your favorite fruit smoothie makes it creamy and rich tasting,

not to mention the EFAs and protein.

[Cha]

9. THis is great news! Hemp has

so many parts of the plant that can create products for jobs and benefits our health, too.

I love my hemp sweater and hemp washcloth.:)

[patrice]

16. I try hard not to get too extreme about things, but Hemp is a wonderful, wonderful plant.

We have had Hemp Festivals in our city. They educate people about Hemp. It's pest resistant and drought hardy, barely needs fertilizer at all, chokes out weeds, actually builds the soil by binding nitrogen into the soil. I've had loaves of hemp bread that lasted several weeks (only 2 of us here and I eat out a lot) without molding. They're even making houses out of hemp in Ireland; they make a slurry and pour it like concrete or stucco. I know there's a downside somewhere or Hemp isn't really all that, but it's pretty f-ing close!

[Cha]

19. You just told me things I

didn't know about hemp..and you have these Hemp Festivals in Kansas? Is it legal there?

[patrice]

21. Not legal. There's just a small, but very old counter culture community in this area near KU.

Somebody needs to write a best-seller about Hemp. It would be good to see all of the stuff I've heard about it altogether in one place.

I've heard it has low-grade antio-biotic properties kind of like how onions and garlic do.

[Cha]

22. Yeah, we have all kinds of

hemp products from Canada in our New York co-op..

This Industrial Hemp bill passing in Oregon and the other states will definitly help the economy and the farmers. I'm thinking along with others who gave me the idea that some tobacco farmers could grow hemp instead:think:

The other states that have passed the Bill..

"This bill would have Oregon join eight other states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia) that have approved the farming of industrial hemp, just as soon as the federal government allows it."

http://stash.norml.org/oregon-senate-clears-industrial-hemp-bill-27-2/

Yay, Hawai'i where I'll be moving back to next yearB-)

[eppur_se_muova]

35. Thanks for the list! Glad to see MD on it ...

if hemp doesn't need fertilizer, it would be an ideal crop to grow in the Chesapeake drainage basin. Anything to keep more phosphates and nitrogen out of the Bay. Maybe some of those massive poultry operations could be replaced by hemp growers!

[No Elephants]

39. Why not write it yourself? If you're that interested, you would probably have fun, too.

[muriel_volestrangler]

45. That's not right about nitrogen

See this post I made (in reply to you, as it happens), a few months ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5332885&mesg_id=5340646

It needs nitrogen added to the soil, either as a fertiliser, or by alternating it with a crop that does fix nitrogen.

[yellowcanine]

46. Hemp does not fix Nitrogen. You are thinking of Sunn Hemp, Crotalaria juncea L. which IS a legume

and fixes nitrogen (or more accurately, it hosts bacteria which fix nitrogen). Cannabis sativa, on the other hand, is not a legume but is in the Cannabaceae family. And if you want economic yields, it needs fertilizer like any other crop.

From an Ontario Fact Sheet on growing hemp: Note: 110 kg/ha about 99 1b/acre. That is more than a little fertilizer.

Fertility
Hemp requires approximately the same fertility as a high-yielding crop of wheat. Research is continuing to define the exact nutrient requirements. Apply up to 110 kg/ha of nitrogen, depending on soil fertility and past cropping history. Research to date supports the application of 40-90 kg/ha of potash for fibre hemp. Base your phosphorus (P205) and potash (K20) applications on a recent soil test. To interpret soil test information, follow the nitrogen, phosphate and potash recommendations for winter wheat in OMAFRA Publication 811, Agronomy Guide for Field Crops.

Growers in Northwestern Ontario may benefit from adding sulfur at 20-30 kg/ha. It is important to balance the nutrients applied with the crop requirements and with each other. Excessive nitrogen, combined with inadequate potash, for example, can result in stalk breakage and loss of the crop.

About 42% of the plants' biomass returns to the soil in the form of leaves, roots and tops. These contain over half of the nutrients applied to the crop. Many of these nutrients will be available to help feed the following crop.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/00-067.htm

[tridim]

3. Tip those dominoes! Go Oregon!

[Bluenorthwest]

4. 46-11

Warms my heart!

[Bobbieo]

5. Industrial Hemp makes for great building blocks for houses, too.

[patrice]

20. hempcrete

[quidam56]

6. Hemp should be planted all across America

Talk about never having to depend on fossil fuel energy sources.

[givemebackmycountry]

7. aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Say's the cotton industry. (Hemp clothes last forever)
Say's the Petroleum industry. (We can make fuel out of hemp, much cleaner than Ethanol)
Say's the timber industry. (Hemp makes excellent paper. When I see pallets full of copier paper, I think trees.)
Say's FOOD Inc. (Hemp is an excellent food source. Healthy and chock full of essential goodness)

In response I say to these entrenched powers.

EAT ME!

[femrap]

10. I hope

Big Cotton, Big Oil, Big Trees and Big Food end in bankruptcy!

Hemp is the answer to so many questions!

[Cha]

8. Yay Yay Yay!

I'm in New York and work in a natural foods co-op and we get our hemp products from Canada and are they amazing!

Organic Powdered Hemp Seed..16% protein and 40% Iron..and tastes Good!

[Bobbieo]

12. South Dakota should be the next state to pass an industrialized hemp bill -

Alex and Debra are waiting!!!!!

[Flaneur]

31. Alex White Plume?

The feds had to win an injunction to stop him from growing it on the Pine Ridge.

Next door in North Dakota, a Republican farmer legislator led the way.

[defendandprotect]

11. Can we have RAYON now . . .PLEASE .... cook in summer, warm in winter -- !!!.

Lovely to wear -- haven't had any in decades!!!

[whathehell]

25. You meant "cool" in summer..right?

[defendandprotect]

28. Yep . . . thank ya -- !!! COOL, COOL, COOL, COOL . . .

[Yavin4]

13. It's Official: Oregon Rocks!

Just make sure those Trailblazers keep clean.

[laconicsax]

27. Nope

Same-sex marriage is illegal by constitutional amendment here and it isn't rape if the victim didn't struggle enough.

[hugo_from_TN]

42. If the state governement would do something to stimulate job creation it would rock.

Since the are not, it sucks.

[Vidar]

14. Good for Oregon.

[FightingIrish]

15. In 2006 we turned most of our southern Oregon hay fields to grapes.

Now we have a way to put the unplanted acreage to a great use. I love my state.

[patrice]

18. My daughter lives up there. She's saving her money to buy property. She'll do it too.

I love your state.

[flying rabbit]

17. Wait. Does the federal law trump

the state's right to legalize it.:shrug:

[MajorChode]

23. Yes

Oregon is not the only state to go down this road. Vermont legalized hemp cultivation last year and they are waiting on a ruling from the DEA or a congressional bill. So far, I don't think anyone has been awarded a license to grow industrial hemp.

[bitchkitty]

24. I love this. What a great day. n/t

[Bobbieo]

26. Alex and Debra WhiteCloud of the Pine Ridge Rez in South Dakota

twice had their industrialized hemp crops destroyed by the DEA. Hey - It ain't over until the Feds pass a law!!!!

[defendandprotect]

29. Le'ts start hollering at the FEDS/Obama to do hemp .... the sensible thing!!!

Has to become part of public debate/discussion . . .

and I'm sure corporate press is helping there, right?

[Dark]

30. The first "drug law" in the U.S. required every Virginia resident to grow hemp.

go figure.

+1 internets for Oregon.

[eppur_se_muova]

36. See my post #35 above -- Delmarva states could benefit from hemp again. nt

[roody]

32. California should get a clue.

[condoleeza]

33. We are very proud of the direction our state is taking in solving the economic issues we face.

Not only are we above the federal poverty level, we are 2nd in unemployment, so there is a lot of rebuilding that needs to take place.
We have a lot of farmland here that hemp would be perfect for.

Last Friday Oregon also passed the Oregon Production Investment Fund which increased the tax incentives for filmmakers here from 5M to 7.5M/yr for
the next 2 yrs. This bill initially failed to pass, but we rallied the troops and got the Speaker to bring it back for another vote with the entire House.
The legislators said they had never seen such a response to Legislation in their careers.
We are quickly becoming a go to State for this GREEN industry. A Harrison Ford movie just wrapped and the TV Series Leverage is here until Sept. & hope to return.
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:duMzIdtRL4IJ:governor.oregon.gov/Gov/docs/SB621_Briefing.pdf+OPIF&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Fresh from reality TV, a Baldwin brother says he has lofty ambitions for the Rose City and Oregon’s burgeoning film industry.
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_062909_news_baldwin_portland_film_production.1af8282a.html?npc

[nc4bo]

34. Wow!!! Sow it, grow it, reap it, eat it, wear it, feed it, use it!

Everything I've read about industrial hemp has been awesome!

Listen up Fed!

[Qutzupalotl]

37. The guerilla pot farmers won't like it one bit.

All that pollen flying around will make their sinsemilla seedy. And the seeds won't even be good for their purposes.

But they're usually growing on someone else's land or a national park, so fuck 'em.

[lunatica]

38. A graphic showing the uses of hemp

[excess_3]

40. are industrial (non-food) crops good or bad?

some people think that using land for crops
other than food, is immoral.

what do you think?

[garybeck]

41. i think that's ridiculous

there's room for both.

[garybeck]

43. This is not good for the medical/recreational growers

there is a lot of concern about cross-pollination between the medical/recreational marijuana and the industrial hemp.

[Uncle Joe]

44. Kicked, but too late to recommend, It's About time for sound logic and common sense to govern.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.