HEMP OFFERS GROWING POSSIBILITIES

By Mark Jenner

The North American Industrial Hemp Council (NAIHC) recently met in St.
Louis to discuss the promotion and production of industrial hemp for food,
fiber and other materials.

The council is made up of farmers, researchers and other agricultural
professionals who see a huge economic and environmental potential in the
U.S. production of industrial hemp. They are convinced that this crop will
provide income for farmers and processors in rural areas, benefit the U.S.
trade balance and enhance the environment.

Industrial hemp was grown in this country starting in its colonial days
until the 1950s when the drug enforcement bureaucracy defined industrial
hemp as marijuana. Industrial products made from U.S. hemp, particularly
fiber and oil products, played a major role in World War II.

Today, world demand for industrial hemp is growing. Because it cannot be
grown here legally, hemp industries are developing in the United States
through the use of imported hemp.

Hemp confusion

The confusion between industrial hemp and is a major obstacle to U.S.
production of industrial hemp. It confuses farmers, policymakers and law
enforcement officials. At the NAIHC meeting it was made very clear that
industrial hemp and marijuana are two distinctly different plants.

Both plants fall into the genus species cannabis sativa, but they have
different requirements for growth and require different management.
Industrial hemp is more robust physiologically and genetically than
marijuana. These similarities can be compared to the differences between
field corn and sweet corn. They also have different levels of THC (delta 9
tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana). Industrial
hemp contains less than 1 percent THC, while marijuana has between 5
percent and 20 percent THC.

Hemp economics

There is reason for farmers and Farm Bureau to be enthusiastic about
industrial hemp production. Hemp can be used to produce textiles, ropes,
carpets, insulation, molded parts, paper, cardboard, fiber boardand many
other products. In addition, there are indications that industrial hemp
suppresses some weeds and insect pests when used in rotation with other crops.

With all of these hemp markets developing, it is no wonder that Canada,
Australia, England, Germany and 29 other nations are producing industrial
hemp.

Hemp politics

Currently the Drug Enforcement Agency considers cannabis sativa to be an
illegal substance. This broad definition includes both industrial hemp and
marijuanabut it creates a paradox that allows the importation of hemp and
hemp products, but not the U.S. production of industrial hemp.

Twelve states have industrial hemp initiatives in progress. North Dakota
and Virginia passed state legislation to legalize research on industrial
hemp. Similar legislation failed in Colorado. Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri and Oregon have legislation pending. Wisconsin has a
draft bill and Kentucky and Vermont plan to introduce legislation in 1998.

Hemp risks

The tragedy of this issue is that it has the potential to place Farm Bureau
leaders and law enforcement officials on different sides due to a vague
bureaucratic definition. The emerging state initiatives are focused on
permitting controlled, legal research on industrial hemp.

Encouraging support for a cannabis crop is a risk. Encouraging support for
research on industrial hemp is not a risk. Without U.S. research, the data
on industrial hemp will always be suspect.

© 1997 American Farm Bureau Federation.