Apparently the DEA is terrified that Americans might find out that
a plant related to the dreaded drug marijuana has some beneficial uses that is
about to ban all such products from the market. Of course industrial hemp used
in the manufacture of these products has almost no THC in it and will not get
you high. It's a different strain from the popular intoxicant, but it does share
the same name so the DEA wants to ban it. This ban would
probably include such products as the excellent Hemp shampoo sold by The Body
Shop in malls across the country. I've never heard of anyone drinking or smoking
the shampoo and I'm sure neither have they.
The reason for this new attack is twofold. One, to reinforce the
government's image of marijuana as a dangerous and evil substance with no
"redeeming social value" , and, two, to prevent possible interference with its
popular drug testing programs. ( I would imagine that using hemp shampoo might
give a false positive on a hair test.)
This letter from a congresswoman in Hawaii outlines the DEA's plan
and what you can do about it.
Subject: DEA regulations
I have just heard that DEA intends to publish
its new regulations in the Federal Register before the new Bush Administration
takes over. Evidently agencies sometimes do this to get their regulatory changes
into effect before the next president takes over.
The regulations will be
devastating to the efforts to legalize industrial hemp in the USA. The
regulations also will seriously impact or actually kill products made with
industrial hemp which are intended for human consumption. This will include hemp
lip balm, any hemp products which could be used to soothe nose/sinus, or
anything that DEA claims could be "ingested."
I also understand that the
regulations will put a cloud over hemp body care products, saying if the shampoo
or lotion user tests positive for THC, then the products will be
outlawed.
DEA chose the time when people are celebrating the holidays and
when Congress will be in recess to do this. Please fight back now to keep these
regulations from being published.
Write and call Janet Reno to object. Do the
same to Pres. Clinton. And if you have established some relationship with a
member of Congress on this subject, contact him/her as soon as possible. One
approach is to say these regs should be tabled to let the next administration
decide. For you in the hemp industry/businesses, please stress the economic
disaster which will hit U.S. businesses if they publish these regulations. And
if you know your governor, ask him/her to contact President Bill Clinton
immediately to stop DEA from publishing.
This isn't much of a Christmas
message--sorry. But I guess we should have expected this tactic from
DEA/McCaffrey.
Let's get to work! (Please distribute this to your
lists.)
Aloha, Rep. Cynthia Thielen
Assistant Republican Floor
Leader
Hawaii House of Representatives
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