Tag Archives: Bill
Vermont legislature passes industrial hemp bill, Colorado farmer plants 60 acre hemp plot
Vermont farmers will likely have one more option of what to cultivate this summer after the state legislature Monday gave final approval to Senate Bill 157 which lifts a state ban on hemp farming.
The bill still has to be signed by the governor, but so far he hasn’t made any indications that he will veto it.
Technically, Vermont has had legal hemp farming on the books since 2008, but a stipulation in the law requiring a federal permit has kept anyone from planting any seeds. SB 157 removes that requirement and allows the state Secretary of Agriculture to issue licenses.
Because the federal government still considers hemp the same thing as marijuana, hemp is a federally controlled substance. As such, the farmers would still risk federal prosecution as well as other penalties including, potentially, the loss of their lands.
Rep. Teo Zagar, who supported the bill, said he’s heard from many farmers and ranchers that they support the measure, including ones who want to use the seed for feed for chickens.
“It really is one of the most versatile plants there is,” Zegar told the VT Digger I can’t think of any more versatile that you can build with, eat and make clothes out of,” he said. “If Vermont takes the lead on this, and we have Vermont natural hemp products, it could be huge. We could have a huge export market opportunity.”
In addition to removing the federal permit requirement, the bill defines hemp as cannabis containing less than .3 percent THC by weight.
Vermont is now one of ten states that allow for hemp farming, including California, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Colorado.But up until this week, none of those states had openly challenged federal law.
On Monday, though, Colorado farmer Ryan Loflin planted what was considered the first real hemp crop in the U.S. in 60 years Monday. Loflin covered about 60 acres in hemp seed formerly used for alfalfa farming. He’s also planning a hemp seed business and has purchased a seed press to make oil.
More links from around the web!
Ohio Lawmakers May Allow Medical Marijuana Bill To Take Flight
Things are looking up in the ‘Buckeye state’, as medical marijuana inches closer to the runway… preparing for a potential flight of the Phoenix.
Cannabis for the sick, could soon be a shining beacon of true civility for Ohio’s MS, cancer, AIDS and PTSD patients. As politicians in the 7th most populous state – stretching across the northern most tip of the Midwestern Bible Belt, are just now hearing the faint screams of pain from their constituents. Funny, or not – how this epiphany coincides with the many recent polls indicating broad voter support for medical marijuana.
No matter how you slice it, the fact of the matter remains; politicians in the ‘Birthplace of Aviation’ [a.k.a. Ohio] may soon allow a medical marijuana bill to take flight, allowing for doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients under certain conditions.
State Representative Robert Hagan sponsored the proposal saying Ohio could benefit from a 15-percent excise tax on marijuana.
Hagan says that money could help restore cuts to public education and local government.
The Youngstown Democrat modeled his ballot proposal on Colorado’s recently passed Amendment 64 that will allow adults 21 and older to legally purchase, cultivate and use recreational cannabis.
Sales establishments would be licensed and registered with the state.
Hagan also reintroduced legislation decriminalizing marijuana for medical use.
The measure joins two similar proposals that have been certified for the statewide ballot but lack the signatures to proceed.
Hagan’s bills lack support from majority Republicans.
Of course it does… typical.
Nevada Bill Would Protect Medical Marijuana Patients from Unscientific DUI Law
Last week, legislators in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard compelling testimony on Assembly Bill 351. This modest and sensible bill would exempt Nevada’s medical marijuana patients from the state’s unscientific limit on how much THC they can have in their systems while driving.
For medical marijuana patients – who can legally consume marijuana – prohibiting small amounts of THC from showing up in blood tests is patently unfair. Active THC can remain in the bloodstream for days after consumption, even when it does not affect a person’s ability to drive. In effect, many medical marijuana patients are prohibited from driving because of this unfair law. Assemblyman William Horne aims to change this in his bill.
Assemblyman William Horne
Nevada’s patients should not be prohibited from driving simply because they benefit from the use of medical marijuana. DUI’s should be based on impairment – not whether drivers have a legal substance in their bloodstream.
If you are a Nevada resident, please send a message to members of the Senate committee and voice your support for this bill!
Vermont Legislature Passes Decriminalization Bill!
Gov. Shumlin
State lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a measure that will decriminalize possession of limited amounts of marijuana in Vermont. The bill will now be transmitted to Gov. Peter Shumlin, who is expected to sign it into law in coming weeks, at which time Vermont will become the 17th state in the nation to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.
H. 200, introduced by Rep. Christopher Pearson (P-Burlington) with a tripartisan group of 38 co-sponsors, will remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine, similar to a traffic ticket. Those under age 21 would be required to undergo substance abuse screening. Under current state law, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail for a first offense and up to two years in jail for a subsequent offense.
The Vermont victory marks another big step toward ending marijuana prohibition in our country, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. Marijuana policy reform bills have been introduced in 30 state legislatures this year, and even more are expected next year.
New Hampshire Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
We are pleased that the Senate Health, Education, and Human Services Committee unanimously voted Tuesday to approve HB 573 and send it forward to the Senate floor. However, we were sad to watch as the bill was compromised by several amendments that were insisted upon by Gov. Hassan.
The worst was the removal of the home cultivation provision. If no patient or caregiver in the state is allowed to cultivate, patients will likely have to wait two or more years for safe, legal access through alternative treatment centers. Another offensive amendment requires patients to secure written permission before using marijuana on private property.
Senators felt they had little choice but to accept these mandates, because to do otherwise would be to risk having the bill vetoed. MPP held a press conference following the Senate vote, and our concerns were reported by media outlets including NHPR, The Union-Leader, The Concord Monitor, and The Nashua Telegraph.
Please share this news and add your voice to the voices of patients like Clayton Holton, who published this excellent letter in The Portsmouth Herald, and Hardy Macia, a cancer patient who recorded a sad, compelling video message for Gov. Hassan from his hospital bed.
