Oregon Passes Hemp Bill

/PRNewswire/ -- 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 consumers."

These Oregon-based companies have been on the leading edge of the growing hemp food and body care markets, which are currently estimated to be $113 million in North American annual retail sales by the Hemp Industries Association (HIA). The HIA estimates the 2008 annual retail sales of all hemp products in North America to be about $360 million. By allowing U.S. farmers to once again grow hemp, legislators can clear the way for a "New Billion-Dollar Crop."

On June 9, with little fanfare, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed the Maine hemp farming bill, LD 1159, into law. Maine's House had previously passed the bill without objection, and the Senate later passed it by a strong vote of 25 to 10. The bill establishes a licensing regime for farming industrial hemp, although the licensing is contingent upon action by the federal government. Maine had previously passed a study bill that also defined industrial hemp.

During the 2009 legislative session, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont and North Dakota all passed resolutions or memorials urging Congress to allow states to regulate hemp farming. Sixteen states have passed pro-hemp legislation to date, and eight states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia) have removed barriers to its production or research. North Dakota has even issued state licenses to would-be hemp farmers for two years running.

Rural America's Opposition Grows to Speaker Pelosi's National Energy Tax

As House Democrats scramble for votes for Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax on anyone who drives a car, buys an American-made product, or flips on a light switch, opposition among family farmers and small businesses in rural America continues to grow stronger. That’s because, as Agriculture Committee Ranking Republican Frank Lucas (R-OK) noted during a hearing earlier this year, rural Americans would be disproportionately impacted by this burdensome, jobs-killing tax. They travel 25 percent further than urban residents to go to work and run errands. They spend 58 percent more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income. And electricity is far more costly to deliver to rural households than to urban homes across America. The end result: if Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax becomes law, rural Americans will pay much, much more. Here is just the latest collection of groups that are opposing Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax because of its consequences for family farmers and small businesses:

Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Agricultural Retailers Association
Agrium Inc.
Alabama Farmers Federation
American Agri-Women
American Farm Bureau Association
American Farmers & Ranchers
American Frozen Food Institute
American Meat Institute
American Plant Food Corporation
AmeriFlax
Associated Industries of Florida
Beck’s Superior Hybrids
Brandt Consolidated
CF Industries
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois
CHS Inc.
Corn Producers Association of Texas
D.B. Western, Inc.
Far West Agribusiness Association
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
Food Industry Environmental Council
GROWMARK
Hardee County Farm Bureau (FL)
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau (FL)
Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association
Indiana Beef Cattle Association
Indiana Farm Bureau
Indiana Grain & Feed Association
Indiana Grain and Feed Association
Indiana Office of Energy Development
Indiana Plant Food & Ag Chemicals Association
Indiana Plant Food & Agricultural Chemicals Association
Indiana Pork Producers Association
Indiana Professional Dairy Producers
Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Indiana State Poultry Association
International Raw Materials, Ltd.
J.R. Simplot Company
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Minnesota Agri-Growth Council
Minnesota Corn Growers Association
Minnesota Crop Production Retailers
Missouri Agribusiness Association
Missouri Farm Bureau
Montana Agricultural Business Association
National Chicken Council
National Corn Growers Association
National Grain and Feed Association
National Grange
National Meat Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Turkey Federation
NCRA
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Nebraska Agri-Business Association
Nebraska Farm Bureau
New Mexico Peanut Growers Association
North Carolina Peanut Growers Association
North Dakota Agricultural Association
North Dakota Barley Council
North Dakota Farm Bureau
North Dakota Grain Dealers Association
North Dakota Grain Growers Association
North Dakota Soybean Growers Association
North Dakota Stockmen’s Association
North Dakota Wheat Commission
Northern Canola Growers Association
Northern Pulse Growers Association
Ohio Corn Growers Association
Ohio Farm Bureau
Ohio Poultry Association
Ohio Wheat Growers Association
Oklahoma Ag Retailers Association
Oklahoma Grain & Feed Association
Oklahoma Peanut Commission
Oklahoma Seed Trade Association
Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association
Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association
Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association
Polk County Farm Bureau (FL)
PotashCorp
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
Sarasota County Farm Bureau (FL)
Society of American Florists
South Carolina Fertilizer & Agrichemicals Association
South Carolina Peanut Growers Association
South Dakota Agri-Business Association
South Dakota Farm Bureau
South Dakota Grain & Feed Association
Southern Crop Production Association
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Terra Industries Inc.
Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Grain & Feed Association
Texas Peanut Producers Board
Texas Sheep & Goat Raisers Association
Texas Wheat Producers Association
The Andersons, Inc.
The Fertilizer Institute
The McGregor Company
Todd Staples, Commissioner, Texas Department of Agriculture
Tom Farms (Kip Tom, CEO)
United Egg Producers
Virginia Peanut Growers Association
W.B. Johnston Grain Co.
Western Peanut Growers Association
Western Plant Health Association
Wyoming Stock Growers Association


House Republicans believe there is a better way – one that can lower energy costs, create jobs, and clean up the environment in rural America and everywhere else. Led by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), the House GOP American Energy Solutions Group has crafted the American Energy Act to increase environmentally-safe energy production; promote alternative fuels to reduce carbon emissions; and encourage increased efficiencies and technologies to maximize America’s energy potential. When will Democrats listen to family farmers and small businesses and work with Republicans on real bipartisan solutions to secure a cleaner, more reliable energy future?

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