Hemp Is NOT Marijuana
On December 20, President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill which allowed Americans to legally grow, use, and transport hemp products. I was excited and encouraged to use this new law as a pathway for the people of Idaho to obtain CBD Oil, a hemp supplement used by many for medicinal benefit.
Idahoans, as well as all Americans, should have a right to try substances and supplements they believe are needed for their personal healthcare. Idaho’s conformity to the 2018 Federal Farm Bill, which House Bill 122 would have accomplished, seemed to be the obvious direction for lawmakers to follow.
The first hearing of HB 122 went through the House Agriculture Committee with only one opposing vote. Many people from all over Idaho testified to the vast array of products which could be produced here. The growing of hemp, and the many manufactured products it would bring, looked like a huge win for Idaho’s agricultural and manufacturing communities. The Idaho Farm Bureau and the Idaho Ag Producers immediately came out in support of HB 122.
This is the third attempt to legalize CBD Oil in Idaho over the past three legislative sessions. The prospect for cultivating hemp in Idaho has been attempted for decades. There was no secret among growers, manufacturers and law enforcement that CBD Oil and Hemp would be topics for the Legislature’s consideration this year.
The Idaho State Police, Sheriff’s Association and Prosecutors remained silent during the bill’s print hearing. The House Agriculture Chair postponed the bill’s vote for four weeks to give these groups time to provide input. Their biggest concern was that HB 122 would open the door for the introduction of Marijuana into Idaho.
Hemp and CBD Oil is not Marijuana, just as poppy seed cake is not Opium.
Law enforcement groups have offered many amendments to HB 122 that have totally changed the bill from an Agricultural opportunity to a burdensome law enforcement and expansion takeover. The sponsors of this bill have worked with the Governor’s office and Law enforcement to provide a means for lawful production of this very important economic opportunity.
HB 122 went before the Senate State Affairs Committee, instead of the Senate Agriculture Committee after it passed the House by an overwhelming 63 to 7 vote. This change in committee assignment confirmed that the Senate would treat HB 122 as a law enforcement bill rather than conformity legislation adopted in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Last week, amendments presented by the law enforcement groups to the Senate Affairs Committee removed the exemption of hemp from Title 37 where hemp would be defined separately from Marijuana. Amendments would also keep hemp as a schedule 1 drug even though hemp offers no hallucinogenic effects.
The steps outlined in HB 122 for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to regulate the production, manufacture, and transportation of hemp were all but removed. The Law Enforcement amendments would put hemp producers and the movement of hemp and hemp products across state lines in jeopardy. As such I am withdrawing my sponsorship of HB 122.
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CK…..Archie Bunker couldn’t have said it better !
Bill to Legalize Hemp
The pro marijuana industry is trying to pull the wool over everyones eyes. Waving the revenue carrot in front of you with this HB Bill 122.
I am totally against ANY bills legalizing ANY Marijuana products to include CBD oils, Hemp or any product harvested from the illegal Marijuana plant. For the purposes of this letter, let’s call it what it is, WEED! This along with CBD oil is the first step for an attempt to have Idaho legalize Marijuana. The next will be a minor amount of weed for personal use, medical usage, and then just stop by the local pot shop and pick up a nickel bag!!!
Before we proceed for those so called Cannabis advocates, like Republican Caroline Troy of Genesee and Dorothy Moon of Stanely, and their proposed Bill to remove Hemp from the scheduled 1 substances, of the alleged 0.3% of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in WEED, is ill advised. I would like to present to you the reasons why I feel this way.
I am against legalizing any WEED for “medicinal or personal uses”. This information is based on knowledge available to anyone looking for info on pushers and or users that are trying to profit of selling this drug. This of course includes states like Alaska, Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington all of which are profiting from now legalized sales through taxes! It should be noted that the legalization was supposed to stop the illegal black market sales, it has not. Just look at Humboldt County, CA, the home of the Haight Ashbury hippies of the 60-70’s who have been growing it illegally since, you can see what the black market is causing. They have a certain location in Humboldt County that is called “Murder Mountain” for a reason! So much for weed being “mellow”!
For too long we have accepted claims from the left that Marijuana “is no worse than Alcohol” and it helps people that have “Cataracts and Cancer” especially those Veterans that have been exposed to “Agent Orange”! This of course is an attempt to advertise their weed and give it legitimacy.
The left failed to mention that people worldwide understand that cannabis causes mental illness, psychosis, and violence! Advocates for the cannabis legalization claimed that once legal, it will allow police to focus on “hardened criminals” rather than WEED smokers, thus reducing crime. They even claim that legalization has “reduced violent crime”. US Senator Cory Booker (D) said in 2017 “states that have legalized Marijuana are seeing decreases in violent crime”. He is wrong. The first five states to legalize Marijuana for “recreational” use, AK/CO/CA/OR/WA in 2015 had a combined 450 Murders and 0ver 30,000 aggravated assaults, last year they had almost 620 murders and 38,000 assaults an increase of about 37%. Knowing exactly how much of this increase in crime is related to cannabis is difficult to say without researching every crime. Police reports and arrest warrants suggest that there is a close link in many cases. One case does come to mind, Longmont CO arrested Daniel Lopez for stabbing to death his brother Thomas. Daniel was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was “self-medicating” with Marijuana.
You never hear from the advocates about the mental illness and psychosis associated with cannabis usage or the DUI’s while under the cannabis consumption. There are other cases like the Lopez case where cannabis is also associated with a number of child deaths from abuse and neglect, more than alcohol, more than cocaine, more than methamphetamines and opioids combined this according to the State of Texas which are one of the few states that provide detailed information on drug use by criminals.
The elite national media and some local media (especially in the Boise area) prefer to ignore the crimes associated with weed usage and treat it like tabloid news. The OPIOID claims to be a pain reducer and is connected to overdose deaths. The opioid addiction is a major problem. Do you think our legislators should be pushers of CBD oil and hemp in direct violation of Federal Law? Marijuana advocates claim of CBD oil reducing pain without high THC content is not a valid claim? The Marijuana plant, including hemp, and all of its claimed medical benefits should not be legal anywhere is the United States and especially here in Idaho?
Just because a “Colorado company” is threatening suing Idaho trying to get it shipment of 6,700 lbs of weed (hemp) returned, is not right and violates our state laws. Our Idaho State Police confiscated this truck and contents legally while doing their sworn jobs. In my opinion, the contents should have be photographed and then destroyed. To give into this alleged lawsuit is weak and shows lack of respect for our State Laws. Who knows how many trucks have transported hemp, weed. or other products prior to this stop. If Colorado or any other state where weed is legal wants to try to smuggle illegal drugs on our highways, when caught, they should have to answer for their crimes. Period!
By the way, HB122 is dead in the water.
CK
If you ever wanted more direct proof of a legislature that doesn’t represent “the People” at all, look no farther than HB-122 and HB-1159. This legislature is a sick, pathetic joke that doesn’t follow the Constitution(s) and couldn’t care less what the People might want. Every year they do this
Looking up the definition of Blue Laws – ordinances which condemn certain activities on moral grounds – It is ironic that opposition to HB122 should come from the boys in blue. Our most memorable and disastrous venture into legislating morality was, of course, the Volstead act and Prohibition. We all know how that came out ! It is amazing to see the old “Devil Weed” bugaboo foisted once again, particularly against what could be a valuable and beneficial addition to the economy, and when people raise a drumbeat against something in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, you have to suspect ulterior motives. Any concern the law enforcement community might have about condoning or opening the door to MJ is rather late, wouldn’t you say ? It is everywhere ! a commonplace ! Anybody who wants a bit of reefer can easily get it ! ( Even in our small rural community I know of three people I could go to right now, and no, they are not drug dealers or gang members, they are middle aged, peaceful property owners)…the only choice we have today, with the accessibility of weed so prevalent, is whether to continue the ridiculous blue laws, or to wake up to reality and decriminalize it. I don’t feel that I’ve gotten off on a tangent in bringing up the weed debate, as the LEOs have used the outdated moral stance against weed to squelch a valuable product – one with no harmful side effect. Yes, we have to suspect ulterior motives. The LEOs might want to view some WWII films made by the Dept of Agriculture, Full on instructional documentaries on how to GROW AND PROCESS HEMP ! With the Navy growing at a madcap pace and a desperate need for rope, we found that the Japanese had cut off our usual sources of hemp fibre. All of a sudden, Devil Weed wasn’t so devilish any more !