HEMP TO BECOME LEGAL CROP

'I'm not on marijuana -- I'm just excited,' MP says

Canadian farmers can plan to grow hemp this spring, thanks to a decision
that comes a year earlier than expected -- but, as some see it, 60 years
late.

Federal Health Minister Allan Rock told the annual meeting of the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture that, for the first time since the Second World
War, cultivation of industrial hemp will be legal nationwide early next
month.

"When I took office last June, I was told by Health Canada officials that
we could not possibly get regulations in place to permit hemp production
until the growing season of 1999," Mr. Rock said yesterday.

As the result of a North American anti-marijuana campaign, both hemp and
marijuana were outlawed in Canada in 1938. Both substances come from the
same cannabis plant, but they're different varieties; only marijuana
contains enough of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to
give users a "high."

According to the Health Canada regulations still to be formally approved by
Mr. Rock, industrial hemp must have less than 0.3 per cent THC, which means
smoking a field of the stuff would give the users more of a headache than a
high.

"There will be minor adjustments (to the regulations) and those minor
adjustments will be reflected in the final regulations," said Derek Kent,
spokesman for the minister. "I can't comment on what those adjustments are
because it's not public yet, but those will become public, of course, when
they become law."

But assuming the licensing portion of the regulations doesn't change,
individuals who wish to grow hemp cannot have been found guilty of any drug
offence in the previous 10 years and must be at least 18. Farmers also will
not be allowed to grow less than four hectares of hemp.

Hemp crusaders are thrilled with the long-awaited public announcement that
would give the green light to growing hemp.

"I am delighted that the matter is going ahead," said Senator Lorna Milne,
the Liberal member who pushed the federal government to move more quickly
with the regulations.

"This is an opportunity for Canadian farmers, unmatched in this century. It
is also proof of the effectiveness and worth of the Senate of Canada."

The value of a Canadian hemp industry is difficult to quantify, but every
year the United States imports $100 million (U.S.) of the crop annually.
It's not legal to grow hemp in the U.S. but there also is pressure there
for legalization.

"There's been a lot of interest from Americans who right now are purchasing
their hemp products from abroad -- mostly China -- and they'd love to be
able to drive it down from Canada," said Ron Schnider, of West Hemp
Enterprises Inc., a Vancouver-based firm that is helping B.C. and Alberta
farmers get licences and obtain seeds.

Almost 100 interested growers have contacted West Hemp for advice in
anticipation of the regulations

In 1996, the federal government passed legislation that made the
cultivation and sale of hemp legal, but farmers had been waiting ever since
for the regulations that would actually allow them to grow the stuff.

Sally Rutherford, executive director of Canadian Federation of Agriculture,
which represents 200,000 farm families nationwide, has been asking for
legalization for the past few years.

"That provides another commodity that people can produce and there appears
to be a growing market for it. It is growable in lots of different areas.
For people looking for diversified crops to grow, it is good news."

In the 100-kilometre region around Grand Forks, B.C., interest in growing
the crop is strong. About 75 potential growers have expressed interest.
There has also been a flurry of interest in northern parts of the prairie
provinces because the crop can be turned around quickly in a very short
growing season.

In southwestern Ontario, where the first federal licence to grow hemp was
issued in 1994, farmers have been tapping into the potentially lucrative
industry.

Rose-Marie Ur, a Liberal MP from Lambton-Kent-Middlesex who has been among
those lobbying the Health Minister to move faster to legalize, said
yesterday's announcement marks a real opportunity for local farmers to be
ahead of their American counterparts.

"I'm not on marijuana," she beamed. "I'm just excited."

But even some of the biggest proponents of the alternative crop remain
critical of the proposed regulations.

"One of the problems was they were limiting growing to minimum of four
hectares, which eliminates a lot of small farmers," said Brian Taylor,
mayor of Grand Forks, B.C.

Mr. Taylor, an early advocate, planted hemp illegally three years ago in a
field to spell the word "hemp" and was charged with cultivation and
possession. The charges were stayed after he demonstrated it was hemp, not
marijuana.

Experts caution that growing hemp is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

"It will be used in rotation with other crops," Ms. Rutherford says.

"It's certainly no Cinderella crop. It's not going to make anybody a fortune."

Ms. Rutherford says. "It's not going to be used as a permanent crop. It is
just a really good rotation crop for people to use to provide some
diversified activity."

The 0.3 per cent level of THC permitted to be present in the hemp seeds is
also being criticized as being too rigid.

"I think it's actually the THC that protects it from pests, ironically
enough," Mr. Schnider said.

Hemp History:

Banned in Canada since 1938 because it is related to marijuana, it enjoyed
a brief resurgence when it was needed for the Second World War effort, but
the law was once again enforced in the late 1940s.

Political parties have avoided the issue of decriminalization. While the
Liberals promised decriminalization in their 1980 throne speech, they never
followed through.

In 1996, a multi-party Senate committee studied the issue but failed to
come up with a solution.

On June 20, 1996, the federal government passed a bill to make hemp exempt
from a list of cannabis products illegal in Canada.

In March 1998, Federal Health Minister Allan Rock is expected to formally
introduce regulations for the cultivation of hemp.

Remained legal in China, France, Spain and many former East Bloc countries.

Industrial uses of hemp: automotive parts; fibre for the pulp and paper
industry; building materials, textiles; soap; rope; cooking oils; food
additives; carpets; cosmetics; paint.

Copyright 1998 The Ottawa Citizen