Newsgroups: alt.hemp,talk.politics.drugs
From: [c--h--p] at [Cygnus.COM] (Colorado HIP)
Subject: Statement Concerning Hemp Bill Vote
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 20:19:08 GMT


*** PRESS RELEASE ***
For immediate release: February 17, 1995

Contact:  Tom Ballanco        (303) 748-8852
          Laura Kriho         (303) 258-7746 
          David Martin        (303) 473-1991
          Michael Perkins     (303) 443-7875

Statement from Colorado Hemp Initiative Project
concerning the defeat of the Hemp Production Act

     In a vote of 4 to 3, the Senate Committee on Agriculture voted not
to appoint a commission to study hemp.  No reasons were given by the
committee members who voted against a hemp study commission.
     Voting for the hemp study were Senators Power, Johnson and
Wattenburg.  Voting against the hemp study were Senators Ament, Dennis,
Gallagher, and Bishop.
     The Colorado Hemp Initiative Project, which organized support for
the bill, released the following statement:
     "The common sense and interest of the Senate Committee on
Agriculture was not enough to overcome the fear instilled by almost 60
years of lies and dis-information about hemp.  If over 10,000 years of
history and facts can't overcome this fear, perhaps it can't be done."
     "It is incredible to us that a majority of the senators on the
Agriculture Committee thought it was too risky to study the
possibilities of hemp agriculture despite the support from the Weld
County Farm Bureau, Colorado State Univ. Agriculture Department and many
other groups.  The Agriculture Committee is mandated to improve the
agricultural economy of Colorado.  They have failed to do that."
     "We are also disappointed in the Rocky Mountain Division of the
Drug Enforcement Administration.  We have operated very openly and
honestly in this process, and we had hoped the DEA would do the same. 
However, the DEA stated their opposition to the bill in a faxed letter
only 2 hours before the hearing on Thursday.  Sen. Ament, the chairman
of the committee, requested an agent be sent to testify about the fax,
but none did."
     "We had sent the DEA a copy of the bill in December and have been
trying to arrange a discussion with them ever since.  But they canceled
one meeting we had arranged and have since then refused to return our
phone calls."
     "We sincerely believe that we can work out our differences with the
DEA and other groups in opposition to us.  That is why we have arranged
Colorado's first Hemp Summit on Sat. March 18 at the CU Law School.  We
will invite all the groups supporting and opposing hemp research and try
to work out our differences.  If they are not willing to discuss
industrial hemp, they will be doing a great dis-service to the
agricultural community of Colorado."
     "The hemp research we have is irrefutable.  Hemp is coming back as
a crop world-wide.  It's only a shame that Colorado won't be a leader in
hemp research.  Other states like Kentucky will surely surpass Colorado
in hemp industry now."
     "We would like to thank Senator Casey for caring enough to
introduce a bill aimed at improving Colorado's agricultural economy and
reducing our need for forest and petroleum products."

For more information, contact the:
Colorado Hemp Initiative Project
(303) 784-5632
--
Colorado Hemp Initiative Project
P.O. Box 729
Nederland, CO 80466
(303) 784-5632