Dear Washington State Industrial Hemp Supporters, There is important and swiftly moving hemp legislation happening in Olympia (HB 1888 passed the House on Monday is in the Senate Ag Committee right now). PLEASE immediately send the below comments to the email addresses below and to your own legislators. • Sen. Brian Hatfield (D) Chair (360) 786-7636 [email protected] • Sen. Jim Honeyford (R) (360) 786-7684 [email protected] • Sen. Sharon Brown (R) (360) 786-7614 [email protected] • Sen. Tracey Eide(D) (360) 786-7658 [email protected] • Sen. Steve Hobbs (D) (360) 786-7686 [email protected] • Sen. Mark Schoesler (R) (360) 786-7620 [email protected] THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!! PLEASE DO THIS RIGHT NOW!!!! Yours in Hemp, Joy Joy Beckerman Maher, Industrial Hemp Professional Hemp Ace International LLC Joy@HempAce ____________________________________________________________ Subject: Comments to HB 1888 (2nd Sub Bill) Re Industrial Hemp Dear Legislator, I support HB 1888 (2nd Substitute Bill) with the important amendments outlined below. Thank you very kindly for your consideration of these critical issues as our state prepares to cultivate this safe, sustainable and valuable agricultural crop. Canada is currently making sweeping deregulation changes to its current system for the purpose of gaining a competitive edge over the U.S. SECTION 2.(4): This definition of “Industrial hemp” must be corrected to exclude the displaced and unnecessary qualifier “and are cultivated or possessed by a licensed grower in compliance with this chapter” for the following reasons: • The definition as written is not based in reality and is not the definition of industrial hemp. • This qualifier is unnecessary in light of Section 4.(1) which states, “[A]ny person or business entity wishing to engage in the production of industrial hemp must be licensed…” Section 4.(1) precludes the need for this displaced qualifier within the definition. • Clauses need to stand alone and on their own, without the concern for severability. • Related note: the appropriate taxonomic nomenclature for the genus and species of this oilseed and fiber cultivar is “Cannabis sativa” (both terms italicized with “Cannabis” capitalized). SECTION 3. The limitation of commercial trade “in the state” should be deleted. It is wholly unnecessary because hemp has always been traded across state lines without controls under the Marijuana Tax Act or the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). The definition of “marihuana” under the CSA specifically excludes hemp: …Such term does not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination. 21 U.S.C. §802(16) (Emphasis added). SECTION 4.(3)(b). We ask you, are farmers required to provide a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit for any other crop in addition to the insurance they already carry? We believe this is an emotion-based provision and ask for your thoughtful consideration. SECTION 4.(3)(e). This section should be deleted in its entirety as wholly unnecessary and is indicative of a simple and fundamental misunderstanding. This section seeks to require the farmer to destroy or recycle parts of the plant not entering the stream of commerce “where the hemp is grown.” Firstly, this is a non-drug crop. Secondly: When harvesting seed, either for certifying for resale or for selling as a grain crop to a processor, the hemp seed will not be 100% cleaned by the farmer. The initially harvested seeds will still have leaves from the seed head and flower parts (known as “bracts”) on the outside of the seed. The combine cuts off the seed head, threshes the seeds, and the waste material is thrown back on the ground - - but the seed is not 100% clean at that point. The seeds are then offloaded onto a truck and go to storage by the processor. Then the seeds are cleaned, dried to a certain moisture content, and stored in a silo under controlled conditions until such time as they are processed. But it is the processor, and not the farmer, who tends to the final removal of the leaves and flower parts; it will not all come off in the field. When harvesting for fiber, there are still some leaves left on the stalk. There aren’t significant flower parts because hemp for fiber is harvested before full maturity of the plant. Again, it is the processor, and not the farmer, who tends to the final removal of leaves. And, again, this is a non-drug crop. SECTION 5.(1) & (2). The Director of the Department of Agriculture must not be the sole source of seed and the Department itself testified as to its well-justified lack of desire to take on this unnecessary responsibility during the 1/30/14 Public Hearing on SB 5954 & 6214 (regarding industrial hemp). • The Department agrees with the Hemp Industries Association and Vote Hemp that implementing a seed certification system is the appropriate and evidence-based method to utilize to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. • Industrial hemp seeds in specific strains and for specific climates (i.e. for particular textiles and building materials, for industrial seed oil, for human consumption, for animal consumption, etc.) are available from different parts of the globe and require the thoughtful consideration by the individual farmer based on a number of factors. Additionally, Washington farmers will advance the genetics of the seeds they grow (though not as concerns THC) as crops acclimate to each farmer’s soil and climate. • On a related note, under the definition of “industrial hemp” as written in Section 2.(4), and taking it to its extreme, the Director would not be a “licensed grower” and would therefore technically be in possession of something illegal - - something illegal that magically transforms into industrial hemp when transferred from the Director to a “licensed grower.”
Posted on: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 21:16:25 +0000
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