THE GREEN PARTY

SUPPORT FOR HEMP Ralph Nader on Tuesday joined people who want to grow and
market industrial hemp in criticizing federal agencies for making it
difficult to grow the crop. Mr. Nader, the Green Party presidential
candidate, also spoke out against a recent raid on a South Dakota Indian
reservation in which federal agents seized at least 2,000 plants the owner
said were industrial-grade hemp.

Hemp cannot be grown commercially in the United States because it is in the
same family as marijuana, although Mr. Nader pointed out that the levels of
hallucinogenic THC are far lower in hemp than in marijuana. "It is
analogous to consuming poppy seed bagels or nonalcoholic beer," he said.
"Although these foods both have a small psychoactive component, people do
not abuse them." Mr. Nader said the Drug Enforcement Administration was
proposing rules requiring that a product containing any THC be listed in
the same category as heroin and LSD.

(Associated Press)