Court Rejects North Dakota Farmers' Bid to Grow Industrial Hemp

Congress Should Address this Problem, Says JudgeBISMARCK, N.D., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two North Dakotafarmers, who filed a federal lawsuit in June to end the U.S. Drug EnforcementAdministration's (DEA) ban on commercial hemp farming in the United States,had their case dismissed by federal Judge Daniel Hovland yesterday. In a 22-page decision, Judge Hovland wrote that the problem facing state-licensed hempfarmers David Monson and Wayne Hauge needs to be addressed by Congress if theyhope to ever grow the versatile crop which is used in everything from food andsoap to clothing and auto parts. The decision can be read at:http://www.votehemp.com/legal_cases_ND.html.

Lawyers working on behalf of the farmers are considering an appeal on anumber of issues. In particular, the Court ruled that hemp and marijuana arethe same, as the DEA has contended for years. However, scientific evidenceclearly shows that not only is industrial hemp genetically distinct from thedrug marijuana, there are also absolutely no psychoactive effects fromingesting it.

"Obviously we are disappointed with the decision," says Eric Steenstra,President of Vote Hemp, a grassroots group working to bring industrial hempfarming back to the U.S. "The Court's decision shows it understands that theestablished and growing market for industrial hemp would be beneficial forNorth Dakota farmers to supply. Yet the decision overlooks Congress'soriginal intent - and the fact that farmers continued to grow hemp in the U.S.for twenty years after marijuana was banned. If the plaintiffs decide toappeal the case, we would wholeheartedly support that effort. We are notgiving up and will take this decision to Washington, DC to prompt action byCongress on HR 1009, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007, which wouldclarify a state's right to grow the crop," adds Steenstra.

In a related development, Vote Hemp has learned that the DEA has sent a"Memorandum of Agreement" to North Dakota State University (NDSU) which, ifsigned by the school, would clear the way for industrial hemp research there.NDSU filed an amicus brief in support of the farmers' lawsuit whichhighlighted the university's eight-year struggle to secure a license from theDEA to grow industrial hemp for research as mandated by state law. "It seemsour arguments about the DEA's delay in processing NDSU's application haveresulted in the agency finally taking positive action to allow research,"comments David Bronner, President of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) andDr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, a manufacturer of soap and other body care productsusing hemp oil imported from Canada.

Vote Hemp, the nation's leading industrial hemp advocacy group, and itssupporters are providing financial support for the lawsuit. If it isultimately successful, states across the nation will be free to implementtheir own hemp farming laws without fear of federal interference. More on thecase can be found at: here

Vote Hemp is a national, single-issue, non-profit organization dedicatedto the acceptance of and a free market for low-THC industrial hemp and tochanges in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow thisagricultural crop. More information about hemp legislation and the crop'smany uses may be found at www.VoteHemp.com or www.HempIndustries.org. BETA SPor DVD Video News Releases featuring footage of hemp farming in othercountries are available upon request by contacting Adam Eidinger at202-744-2671.SOURCE VoteHemp.comAdam Eidinger, +1-202-744-2671, adam@votehemp.com; or Tom Murphy,+1-207-542-4998, tom@votehemp.com, both of VoteHemp.com