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Legalizing hemp not high on government’s list of things to do
By Hempology | January 7, 2008
Minot Daily News, ND
31 Dec 2007
CONGRESS WON’T TALK ABOUT HEMP
As the new year begins today, new laws will take effect around the country. In North Dakota, a state law allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp won’t be taking effect any time soon – if ever.
The three members of the state’s congressional delegation offer little hope for anyone interested in growing industrial hemp. As long as the Drug Enforcement Agency considers hemp to be defined the same as its cousin, marijuana, there is virtually no chance Congress will take up the battle.
Two North Dakota farmers have sued the U.S. government to change the definition of industrial hemp. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland dismissed the lawsuit in November, saying the issue should be resolved in Congress.
But our congressional delegation isn’t confident that Congress will even discuss the issue, much less act on it. Unfortunately, they’re right. We suspect a couple of years from now, this issue won’t have changed any – growing industrial hemp in the United States will still be illegal, and hemp proponents will still be trying to make their case to the federal government.
We believe the government should take up this issue – but we also believe the government won’t.
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