Subject: legislation From: Institute for Hemp Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs Date: 20 Mar 93 09:58 PST Subject: Industry Stalls Hemp Bill In MN ALERT ALERT ALERT MINNESOTA TO MAKE BIRD SEED ILLEGAL ! The House of Representatives is about to hold hearings on a bill ( House File #851) that will in effect shut down a major industry and make criminals of people who have BIRD SEED. Hearings on this bill are to be held in Room 300s of the State Office Bldg on Friday March 19th at 10 am. House file 851 which is trying to tighten the drug laws for the state of Minnesota is redefining the word marijuana. The effect of this change will be to make anything that contains Hemp seed, Hemp Rope, Hemp Cloth or any product containing any portion of cannabis fiber or seed illegal and subject to the controlled substances, taxes and forfiture laws. As most people know the fiber of the plant is used to make Cloth, Rope, Fiber Board, Paper, and the sterilized seed (seed that can not grow) is used in animal feeds mainly for pet birds and small mammals. This bill would in effect make all of these useful products illegal and criminals of those that possess and sell these products. Many businesses are speaking out against this bill. Knight Seed Company of Burnsville MN, The Third Stone of Albert Lea, The Hemp Hack Company of St Cloud and other companies are all in opposition to any change in the legal defination of marijuana. For more information please call THE INSTITUTE FOR HEMP 612-222-2628 ask for John Birrenbach, President & Founder. Sponsers of the Bill are Rep. Perlt @ 296-7807 Rep. Delmont @ 296-4226 Rep. Swenson @ 296-4124 *********************************************** MEDIA ATTENTION Bird Feed & ROPE ILLEGAL ! Industry responds "NO" The House of Representatives, judiciary sub committee will hold hearings on House File #851, a bill that is opposed by the Seed, Pet, Rope, & Hemp Industries. House file 851 is a bill which is trying to tighten the drug laws for the state of Minnesota. In addition to many other things, hidden in this bill is a change in the definition of the word marijuana The effect of this change will be to make anything that contains Hemp seed, Hemp Rope, Hemp Cloth or any product containing any portion of cannabis fiber or seed illegal and subject to the controlled substances, tax and forfeiture laws. John Birrenbach, founder, The Institute for Hemp said "It is well know that the fiber of the plant is used to make cloth, rope, fiber board, paper, furniture, and the sterilized seed (seed that can not grow) is used in animal feeds mainly for pet birds and small mammals. These uses have been accepted as safe and legitimate for thousands of years. This bill would in effect make all of these useful products illegal and criminals of those that possess and sell these products." adding "It is also well known that there is no way to get a high from these products. I mean we are talking about making certain ropes, cloth, & books illegal." Many businesses are speaking out against this bill. Knight Seed Company of Burnsville MN in a letter to the committee said " we ask that house file 851 be re-defined not to include bird food hemp seed or defeated in committee." Greg Domeier of the St Cloud based Hemp Hack Company wrote "The purpose of these exclusions is to prevent the suppression of legitimate commerce." For more information please call THE INSTITUTE FOR HEMP 612-222-2628 ask for John Birrenbach, President & Founder. Sponsors of the Bill are Rep. Perlt @ 296-7807, Rep. Delmont @ 296-4226, Rep. Swenson @ 296-4124 Hearings on this bill are to be held in Room 300s of the State Office Bldg. on Friday March 19th at 10 am. **************************************** MEDIA ATTENTION MARIJUANA to be PRESENTED to Members of the Judiciary Sub-Committee TOMORROW ! John Birrenbach, Founder of the St Paul based Institute for Hemp will present members of the judiciary subcommittee with various products made from hemp that will be considered MARIJUANA if house file #851 is passed as is. "I intend to show them in a graphic manner the absurdity of this change." Mr. Birrenbach said. House file 851 is a bill which is trying to tighten the drug laws for the state of Minnesota. In addition to many other things, hidden in this bill is a change in the definition of the word marijuana The effect of this change will be to make anything that contains Hemp seed, Hemp Rope, Hemp Cloth or any product containing any portion of cannabis fiber or seed illegal and subject to the controlled substances, tax and forfeiture laws. John Birrenbach, said "It is well know that these uses have been accepted as safe and legitimate for thousands of years. This bill would in effect make all of these useful products illegal and criminals of those that possess and sell these products." adding "We are talking about making certain ropes, cloth, & books illegal." Many businesses are speaking out against this bill. Knight Seed Company of Burnsville MN in a letter to the committee said " we ask that house file 851 be re-defined not to include bird food hemp seed or defeated in committee." Deborah Zippel, General Manager of the Oakland Ca based Quick Trading Co., wrote "The people adversely affected by the passing of this bill would be manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of birdseed, animal food, fabric, rope, paper, (all cigarette papers are made from hemp fiber), oils and cosmetics. It would have no effect on marijuana growers," Greg Domeier of the St Cloud based Hemp Hack Company wrote "The purpose of these exclusions is to prevent the suppression of legitimate commerce." For more information please call THE INSTITUTE FOR HEMP 612-222-2628 ask for John Birrenbach, President & Founder. Sponsors of the Bill are Rep. Perlt @ 296-7807, Rep. Delmont @ 296-4226, Rep. Swenson @ 296-4124 Hearings on this bill are to be held in Room 300s of the State Office Bldg. on Friday March 19th at 10 am. MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WELCOME From: Institute for Hemp Newsgroups: alt.drugs Date: 20 Mar 93 09:56 PST Subject: Testamony on HF 851 Stalls Hemp Bi OPENING STATEMENT Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee My name is John Birrenbach, I am the owner of The Institute for Hemp, based in St Paul. I come before you in opposition, and to express my concerns regarding a part of the bill before us House File 851 I speak to you as a member of and on behalf of the industry that will be unduly effected by this bill. Mine and the industry concerns about this bill is in regard to the redefining the definition of the word Marijuana. In 1937, congress held hearings to make marijuana illegal. At that time the hemp industry came before the congressional committee and asked that this definition of marijuana be used so as not to affect their legitimate industries. Congress had the foresight to take the industries concerns to heart and made the definition of marijuana that has been upheld in court till this day. In striking from the definition the exclusion for the legitimate industrial uses you will suppress an industry that is flourishing in the state of Minnesota. You will in effect make the use of sterile hemp seed, that has been approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency, and federally as a legal substance, into a controlled substance. In addition any product that contains a MIXTURE of sterile hemp seed will be a controlled substance as well. The effect of this upon the Pet & Wild bird industry will be catastrophic. Currently the manufacturers of bird feeds use a percentage of sterile hemp seed in some of their mixtures. If the definition of marijuana is changed these bird feeds will be considered a marijuana, because they contain mixture of sterile hemp seed. This would subject anyone who has a pet bird to all of the laws regarding marijuana. This means that a person with 5lbs of bird seed that has a percentage of hemp seed will be subject to the forfeiture, and sentencing guidelines resulting from a conviction in possession or sale of that quantity of feed. I do not think that it is the intention of this committee to make bird food illegal, but this is what the result of this change will in effect bring about. In the manufacture of many commonly used products hemp is used. From the production of paper, to the manufacture of furniture hemp is used in its construction. If the definition of marijuana is changed then these products by virtue of their containing a mixture of cannabis fiber in their construction will in effect become a controlled substance. The effect of this will be like that of those people who have bird food with hemp seed, with one exception that a couch can weigh hundreds of pounds, and the implications of having hundreds of pounds of MARIJUANA are enormous. I am also informed by members of the industry that paper used to manufacture cigarettes contain a small percentage of hemp fiber in them as well. This would in effect make the sale of cigarettes as illegal as selling a marijuana cigarette. Additionally, the original drafts of the Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and many bibles and books in our libraries also contain MIXTURES of cannabis fiber in the paper. This change in the definition of the word marijuana will in effect make these items as illegal as a bag of marijuana mixed with oregano. I hope that you can see why I am so concerned with this introduced change in the current statute. I also question the constitutionality of this change in the definition as it will interfere with interstate commerce. As has been previously upheld in the United States courts the states have repeatedly lost in their battle to regulate interstate & international commerce. This change is likely to challenged and overturned in the courts. I have talked with the B.C.A. and I understand their concerns with the recent court decisions. I have not yet examined these court decisions they site but I am sure that the method used to prosecute these cases were flawed. Minnesota's law is not flawed. In our state law we make it specific that a MIXTURE of marijuana is considered all marijuana by weight, so that the concerns of the BCA are unfounded. I am also very concerned with the manner in which this bill was introduced. It concerns me that the authors of this bill did not read the bill before introducing it. It further concerns me that the industries that are effected by this bill are not notified that a bill of this nature is before this committee. If it were not for the fact that I receive the House Session weekly I would have never known that this bill had been presented. I ask that you make amendments to this bill to exclude this change in the definition of marijuana. In closing I say to you that Minnesota's definition of marijuana is not in need of change as the BCA implies. Further that with the current status of Minnesota law it would be imprudent of you to make this change at this time. I ask that you amend this bill so as to exclude any change in the legal definition of marijuana. I ask that the letters I have received, and presented to you, from members of the industry be read into the official record. I thank you for allowing me a chance to voice mine and the industries concerns regarding this matter. I am now open to questions from the committee. --