QUICK PRINTING Magazine
July 1996

Industrial Hemp Kicks Into Gear

Legislation in Several States Increases Support for Agricultural Commodity

BY HEIDI TOLLIVER

Some of you probably thought I was kidding when I chose industrial
hemp as a
topic for this column in January. Perhaps you figured I was bored, with
nothing else to write about. Even if that had been true (which it wasn't),
significant progress in the industrial hemp movement has made the issue
timely in recent months.

What is important about industrial hemp is not so much the
substance itself, but that it represents just one of a number of alternative paper-making
fibers gaining widespread recognition and support. With an eye toward
long-term tree fiber shortages, paper manufacturers are monitoring
alternative sources carefully.

Soon after the January mailing of QUICK PRINTING, I was contacted
by Joe Hickey, executive director of the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative
Association, which is actively involved in lobbying and public awareness
efforts on behalf of industrial hemp. He had seen the column and took the
opportunity to introduce his organization and put me on his mailing list.
That mail has been voluminous, and the progress in that short time
has been impressive. What follows is a brief synopsis of those events.

Background in Brief

First, a brief recap of the basics of industrial hemp. I will start
with the answer to the question everyone asks: "No, it can not make you high."
Because industrial hemp contains less than 1 percent of THCs, it is
non-hallucinogenic and can not be used for illegal purposes.
On the other hand, its benefits for commercial printing and writing
papers are many. These include its strength, both as the primary fiber and as a
filler to strengthen recycled grades, as well as its ability to produce an
extremely high quality sheet. Also, because it can be farmed like any other
crop, it offers tremendous potential as an inexpensive, renewable fiber
resource.

Industrial hemp's image as a "green" product also appeals to an
environmentally conscious public. Because hemp has a history in the United
States (albeit a controversial one), its name recognition gives it a
marketing head start over other non-tree fibers such as kenaf, despite the
fact that its image is largely, if erroneously, tied to marijuana.

Growing industrial hemp is currently illegal in the U.S., although
it is not illegal to import it. Legalizing hemp as a domestic crop would reduce the
cost of making the paper and increase its commercial marketability.
Making it more likely for industrial hemp to be legalized in the
United States, is its versatility. Hemp fiber can be used for livestock feed,
textiles, petroleum, construction, and other commercial products. The oil
processed from the hemp seed has potential for use in paints, plastics, and
even in home heating. It is also used in cosmetics and in the health food
industry. The seed cake left behind after oil extraction can be used as a
protein-rich cooking and baking flour, said to be as versatile as wheat
four.

Because it is a fast-growing, high-yield crop, industrial hemp has
the backing of the nation's farmers. According to one source, it will yield $90
per acre, compared to corn, which brings in $30 per acre. It can also be
grown without the use of pesticides.

For a more detailed look at other benefits of industrial hemp,
refer to QP's January 1996 Paper Trends column. Now, a look at the most recent advances
in the legalization movement:

Colorado: The state of Colorado has been one of the strongest
supporters of industrial hemp. On March 29, the Colorado Senate passed a bill sponsored
by Sen. Lloyd Casey to legalize the growing of industrial hemp. The bill now
goes to the House, where two Colorado House Representatives have
co-sponsored the bill.

Called the Hemp Production Act, the bill calls for the regulated
cultivation of industrial hemp by permitting Colorado farmers to plant no more than 40
acres of industrial hemp in the state in 1996. It would also allow
production to increase in subsequent years.

Lawmakers are concerned, however, about being able to differentiate
between industrial hemp and marijuana. Some law enforcement agencies, most notably
the Denver Police Department, have come out strongly against the bill.
Industrial hemp is also opposed strongly by Drugwatch International. But
rather than dampening support for industrial hemp, their efforts so far
have succeeded only in creating amendments to the bill, which include lowering
the plant's THC limit from I percent to 0.5 percent and giving local law
enforcement a greater role in regulation.

Now that the bill has passed the full Senate, it moves to the House
Agriculture committee for hearings. If the House committee passes it, it
will be voted on twice by the full House. If the House passes it, the governor
will decide whether to sign it or to veto it. The issue must be settled
before May 8, when the legislative session ends. Otherwise, the bill will
meet the same fate as in 1995, when it was submitted but not passed.

Want to help? The Colorado Hemp Initiative Project is looking for
volunteers for lobbying, fund-raising, and other support activities. Contact the
Colorado Hemp Initiative Project (CO-HIP), P.O. Box 729, Nederland, CO
80466, or by e mail at cohip@welcomehome.org.

Vermont: This heavily rural state also has an industrial hemp bill
pending. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Fred Maslack, has already passed the
Vermont House and was scheduled to go before Senate hearings on March 26.
One plan calls for a two-acre experiment, to be funded by private donations,
using test plots to determine which strain of hemp would grow best in
Vermont soil. The plots would be surrounded by 10-foot high chain-link fences.
Supporters, including the Vermont Hemp Council, say the new crop
could replace the state's declining dairy farms and provide additional revenue
for its beleaguered farmers. The Council has emphasized that anything that can
be made from soybean, cotton, or petrochemicals can be made from industrial
hemp. Vermont State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration say hemp legalization would increase drug problems.

Missouri: In March, Senator Jerry Howard introduced an industrial
hemp bill to the Missouri Senate. The bill was set for preliminary hearings by the
Senate Agricultural Committee on March 27.

Kentucky: This state's Kentucky Hemp Task Force, appointed by
then-Gov. Brereton Jones in 1994, did much to educate the industry about the benefits
and draw backs to industrial hemp as a farm crop in the United States. Its
task force report is possibly the most comprehensive compilation of
information on industrial hemp available, and is often cited by other
initiatives around the country. It is also recognized as having removed the
stigma attached to the discussion of industrial hemp.

Although the task force has been disbanded, there is still an
initiative alive to legalize the crop in the state. A poll conducted by the University
of Kentucky Research Center in 1995 found that 77 percent of Kentuckians
strongly favor or somewhat favor legalizing industrial hemp as a cash crop.
In January 1996, the state Farm Bureau voted unanimously for a resolution
to encourage industrial hemp research, including planting test plots.
Also in January, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest
farming organization in the United States, passed a resolution at its annual
convention calling for re search that could lead to the reintroduction of
hemp into the American farm economy. The resolution was adopted by
unanimous vote of the 51 state presidents and all 360 voting convention delegates.
Information on the hemp movement, both in Kentucky and around the
world, is available through the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association. It
posts updates through Web site www.hemptech.com, and is currently working on its
own Web page for interested browsers. You can also e-mail the organization
at Wdavids100@aol.com.

Interestingly, the association was first organized in 1942 to help
with the war effort by producing hemp for use in the military and related activities
under the "Hemp for Victory" program established by President Eisenhower.
After the war, the co-op was disbanded, but later reincorporated in 1994 to
assist Kentucky farmers in re-establishing industrial hemp as a viable
agricultural commodity.

The co-op's activities include providing portions of raw hemp to
various companies and research facilities. "One thing we want fellow Kentuckians to
understand," says Hickey, quoted in an article in ACE magazine, "is that
the return of industrial hemp to our farms could foster rural economic
development."

He and several associates have revived and incorporated the name of
one of the first commercial processors of hemp fibers through the Hemp for Victory
program, Kentucky River Mills. They plan to raise capital to construct a
minimill to produce 25 to 30 tons of pulp per day. Raw materials would
consist of a mix of available farm crops and residues, including kenaf,
corn stalks, wheat grass, and hemp. The mill would be 100 per cent
environmentally friendly, with none of the pollutants associated with traditional wood pulp
mills.

Wisconsin: After the disbanding of the Kentucky Hemp Task Force,
leadership on this front has been taken over by the Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, which has sponsored four meetings on the subject within the last year.
Among them was the North American Industrial Hemp Forum, whose attendees included
International Paper and Weyerhaeuser Corp., as well as researchers from
universities and institutions around the country.

Wisconsin has a strong track record of profitable, high-quality
hemp production (30,000 acres in 1943 under Hemp for Victory), with 10 former
mills statewide. In January 1996, the Wisconsin Agribusiness Council
supported efforts to reintroduce hemp production in the state in order to
provide farmers with greater crop diversification and to bring nearly one
million set-aside acres back into production.

Illinois: In February, Chicago hosted the formation of the North
American Industrial Hemp Council. The council unites agricultural, academic,
government, business, environmental, and public interest groups from the
United States and Canada. The goal of the council is to reestablish the use
of industrial hemp by creating a better understanding of the crop, and by
promoting the development of new products and businesses that use the
plant's fibers and seeds.

Wyoming: The American Farm Bureau Federation has approved a
resolution encouraging research into the viability and economic potential of hemp
production in the United States.

Canada and Overseas: In 1995, the Canadian government issued
licenses for growing 35 test acres of industrial hemp, with more expected in 1996. The
Bank of Montreal sponsored a conference on the issue in Toronto in March,
and in February, Winnipeg, Manitoba, became home to the new Canadian Industrial
Hemp Council, dedicated to developing a regulatory framework for commercial
industrial hemp production and processing in Canada.
Canadian currency, by the way, is printed on imported hemp paper.

Reports from Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association note that if you compare
a Canadian bill of the same year to a U.S. bill, which is printed on cotton
paper, you will see the difference.

Germany already has legalized industrial hemp, joining the United
Kingdom and most of the countries in Eastern and Western Europe. In Australia, nine
varieties of industrial hemp have been tested in research plots.
Among the reports from various countries are that industrial hemp
has the potential to be more profitable than
tobacco. England is reported to harvest three tons of industrial hemp per
acre, while Canada harvests five tons per acre.

Hemp When?

When will all of this activity result in hemp-based paper on the
retail shelves? Paper made with percentages of hemp and other alternative fibers
are already available through merchants such as American Hemp Mercantile, The
Ohio Hempery, and Tradition Bond Tree-Free Paper Co. (see January column) .
Domestic production would increase the availability and cost of these
papers, potentially bringing them from the high-end specialty market to more
economical grades.

Improved economics would also in crease hemp's favor as a
high-quality filler to lengthen the life of recycled fibers. In addition, it would open
the door to the use of other alternative fibers that, without the
supporting structural strength of strong fibers such as hemp, might otherwise not
become viable.

For assistance in preparing this column, I thank the Kentucky Hemp
Growers Cooperative Association's news reports, which include clippings from
newspapers and other news sources from around the country.

Heidi Tolliver is a contributing writer for the PTN Graphic Arts Network.
You may contact her by e-mail at Htollvr@aol.com

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Brought to you by:

Colorado Council for Kentucky Hemp Growers
Industrial Hemp Development Cooperative Assoc.
2626 Baseline Rd. #272 P.O. Box 8395
Boulder, CO 80303 Lexington, KY 40533
303/499-8733 606/252-8954
Email: dmartin@privateI.com Email: wdavids100@aol.com

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