Holy happy-weed! Kristi Noem voted for hemp!
Larry Kurtz can be hard to love, but he points out this very interesting fact about the GOP farm bill that squeaked out of the House yesterday: it includes a Democratic amendment to promote research on industrial hemp!
Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) passed an amendment to H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, the FARRM bill, that would allow colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp in states where it is already legal without fear of federal interference. The FARRM bill had previously failed, but was taken up again and passed the House of Representatives today with a vote of 216 to 208.
“Although I strongly opposed the Republican FARRM bill, I was pleased to see that the bipartisan amendment that I offered with Representatives Blumenauer and Massie was included in the final bill that passed the House of Representatives today,” said Rep. Polis. “This commonsense amendment will allow colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes in states where industrial hemp growth and cultivation is already legal. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this language becomes law.”
“This amendment is a small but fundamental change in the laws that hopefully will one day allow Kentucky farmers to grow industrial hemp again,” said Rep. Massie. “It’s our goal that the research this amendment enables would further broadcast the economic benefits of the sustainable and job-creating crop. I look forward to working with Rep. Polis and Rep. Blumenauer on this issue.”
"I'm disappointed by the Farm Bill as a whole, but glad to see the restrictions on hemp eased," said Blumenauer. “Our fear of industrial hemp is misplaced – it is not a drug. By allowing colleges and universities to cultivate hemp for research, Congress sends a signal that we are ready to examine hemp in a different and more appropriate context” [office of Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado), press release, 2013.07.11].
Noem for Hemp—there's another part of this awful farm bill that Noem didn't mention. (Think of all the crop insurance Bryon could sell to hemp growers! Think expanding markets, Kristi!) The South Dakota Farmers Union endorsed industrial hemp a dozen years ago in the run up to a statewide vote on legalizing hemp (which failed 38% to 62%).
Boosting research on industrial hemp is one of the few redeeming parts of this GOP political ploy. But stay tuned for the GOP press to start lynching Noem over her support for hemp, an economically and environmentally beneficial crop for which Pat Powers only sees one good use.
ultimately, gaia willing, only organic hemp will be approved for use in human-targeted products. most frightening to those of us in the cannabis rights community is that rand paul will lead on the future of its introduction into the mainstream instead of by forward-thinking dems. cc: rick weiland.
Now if she actually tried it.... hmm maybe...nah, it wouldn't help. Perish the thought of her and Bachmann toking along with some of their crazy colleagues. Might make a great video though.
Come on, Vinny, you know you can't smoke industrial hemp. :-)
1. Kurtz is not hard to love.
2. I must have missed the class on the correct type of pot to smoke.
3. The colleges and universities this funding is aimed for is full of college kids. Who smoke pot. They're very thankful for this.
4. Kristi likely had no idea hemp subsidies were in the 608 page portion of the farm bill. Raise your hand if you think she read it.
5. Furthering notion they didn't read it: Subsidizing hemp doesn't make sense to this bill considering they cut funding and investments for other types of sustainable ag and renewable energy.
6. But then, it all makes sense. Poor people still can't eat hemp and they're all for starving them out.
Taunia, I have no personal knowledge of the merits of inhaling burning vegetation of any sort. But industrial hemp appears not to contain enough THC to trigger a positive pee test, let alone get you happy. Apparently the higher concentration of CBD fights off the psychotropic effect of the lower concentration of THC.
But no one is smoking enough dope to believe Kristi read the whole bill.
What's old is new agian.
During the war to end all wars, farmers were paid to grow hemp to make rope for the war effort.
It gives farmers another crop they can grow. If they can find a way to use it.
I was hoping they can find a way to use Candian Thislte.
Touché. I think I'm supposed to say I'm hungry now.
So many things from treating sickness to building dashboards, from food to stopping erosion. And then there's this.
http://www.hemphasis.net/Fuel-Energy/fuel.htm
Hemp Produces the Most Biomass of Any Plant on Earth.
Hemp is at least four times richer in biomass/cellulose potential than its nearest rivals: cornstalks, sugarcane, kenaf, trees, etc.
Hemp produces the most biomass of any crop, which is why it is the natural choice for an energy crop. Hemp converts the sun's energy into cellulose faster than any other plant, through photosynthesis. Hemp can produce 10 tons of biomass per acre every four months. Enough energy could be produced on 6% of the land in the U.S. to provide enough energy for our entire country (cars, heat homes, electricity, industry) -- and we use 25% of the world's energy.
To put which in perspective, right now we pay farmers not to grow on 6% (around 90 million acres) of the farming land, while another 500 million acres of marginal farmland lies fallow. This land could be used to grow hemp as an energy crop.
The Blindman
No worries, dudette! Just don't smoke the rope, the paper, the plywood, the shoes, or any of the thousands of other products SDSU will be able to study making with hemp if this amendment can survive conference committee.
...and yeah, what Bill said! (he hit Post while I was typing! :-) )
It always has been an uphill battle Cory. Now it would be twice as bad as before. Now we have the two biggest lobbyist that send money to DC each with something to loose, big oil, and and now big pharma.
The Blindman
ping.
4:20 east river