PUSHING HEMP - INDUSTRY STRUGGLES WITH U.S. RULES THAT LINK IT WITH
POT

WILLIAMS, Ore. - Nestled in the woods, Ethan and Keira Hummingbird
operate a cottage industry in a one-room cabin where they create and
sell hemp clothing, bags and accessories.

Two industrial leather sewing machines used to craft sturdy clothing
and backpacks line the cramped room, and large rolls of hemp fabric
hang from the walls. The rest of the building is filled with hemp
items for sale.

A friend helped the couple set up to make clothes, backpacks, pouches
and wallets about two years ago. But getting enough hemp can be
difficult because importers are few.

Finding a high-quality hemp fabric is also a chore. Though heavily
processed fabric from China is fairly easy to obtain, it is not
suitable for clothing, the Hummingbirds said.

They purchase their cloth in bulk from U.S. hemp dealers who import it
from Eastern Europe, mainly from Poland and Hungary.

"It sure would be nice to be able to purchase it locally and put the
money back into our community," Keira Hummingbird said.

While the sale of hemp products has become widespread nationwide,
growing hemp remains illegal in most states -- including Oregon.

A bill currently before the Oregon Legislature seeks to legalize
industrial growth of hemp, subject to licensing and inspection by
state agriculture officials. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Floyd
Prozanski, D-Eugene, stipulates a $2,500 fine for growing it without a
license.

Montana and Virginia have already made it legal to grow industrial
hemp. Hawaii recently voted to allow the state to grow a 10-acre test
plot. New Hampshire, North Dakota and Tennessee are all actively
considering similar legislation. Meanwhile, lawmakers in New Mexico
recently approved funding of hemp research. And a 62-year-old group
called the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association, comprised of
60 farmers, is working to re-establish the hemp industry in their state.

"A lot of states are beginning to realize that just because it's
Cannabis sativa doesn't mean its psychoactive. It's so ludicrous not
to make use of it," Ethan Hummingbird said. "It's a slow process, but
people are becoming more and more aware."

Both hemp and marijuana are derived from the cannabis plant. Marijuana
contains typically 3 percent to 15 percent THC -- the psychoactive
element of the plant, whereas hemp contains 1 percent or less,
Prozanski said.

"I always tell people we are talking about rope, not dope," he
added.

While proponents of Oregon's hemp bill see an untapped cash crop,
skeptics fear that hemp fields could not be distinguished from the
marijuana plants of its cousin.

A hemp field could serve as a fortress for a marijuana field inside,
said Rep. Larry Wells, R-Jefferson, chairman of the Agricultural and
Forestry Committee.

A farmer himself, Wells also questions the marketability of industrial
hemp and whether Oregon is a good climate to grow the plant.

"You can't just start growing a crop without knowing the feasibility,"
Wells said.

He suggested that Oregon State University perform a trial study of a
hemp crop before legislation making industrial growth legal is passed.
But Wells said money would have to be raised for these studies, and no
one has come forward to foot the bill.

However, Prozanski said Oregon would be a prime climate for
cultivation.

"We are looking at an area that is ready to boom," Prozanski said.
"Oregon is in a great place to be leader in production."

He added that little pesticide is required for growth, two crops can
be harvested each season, and hemp is a good rotational crop.

"It seems hypocritical that we are allowing the importation of hemp,
but we are not allowing our farmers to benefit," he said.

Backers of the legislation say hemp could be used in place of mature
timber to make paper. It takes about 20 years to grow a forest, but
only one season to grow a hemp field, Prozanski said.

In fact, the U.S. Constitution was written on hemp
paper.