Pubdate: Wed, 05 Mar 2014
Source: Omaha World-Herald (NE)
Copyright: 2014 Omaha World-Herald Company
Contact:  http://www.omaha.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/320
Author: Martha Stoddard, World-Herald Bureau

BILL TO PERMIT PRODUCTION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP EASILY WINS 1ST-ROUND 
APPROVAL IN NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

"This bill is no way intended to be a gateway to recreational use" of 
marijuana, said State Sen. Norm Wallman, who introduced the measure. 
"This bill is about agriculture. It's really that simple."

Lincoln, Nebraska - Thirteen years ago, industrial hemp's resemblance 
to marijuana sank legislation to legalize growing of hemp in Nebraska.

On Tuesday, a bill to allow production and marketing of industrial 
hemp sailed through first-round debate in the Nebraska Legislature.

Legislative Bill 1001, introduced by State Sen. Norm Wallman of 
Cortland, advanced on a 32-1 vote.

He said his proposal concerned alternative crops and a potential 
source of revenue for farmers.

"This bill is no way intended to be a gateway to recreational use" of 
marijuana, Wallman said. "This bill is about agriculture. It's really 
that simple."

Industrial hemp and marijuana both come from the same plant species, 
cannabis sativa, but the two are genetically different.

Hemp has very little tetrahydrocannabinol, or TCH, the ingredient 
that produces the marijuana high.

Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha said hemp contains up to 1 percent of 
THC, while marijuana contains between 3 percent and 20 percent.

"You're not going to get a buzz off of this stuff," he said.

Industrial hemp can be used for a wide variety of industrial and 
other products, he said.

Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft questioned whether the change 
represents good policy for the state. She asked if people could use a 
hemp crop as cover for growing marijuana.

"It's not like growing cornflakes or corn," she said.

Wallman, however, said that growing hemp next to marijuana would 
spoil a marijuana crop. The two would cross-pollinate, reducing the 
amount of THC in the marijuana.

He compared the effect to planting sweet corn, which is used as a 
vegetable, next to feed corn, which is used for ethanol and animal feed.

Nebraska would not be the first state to allow growing of industrial 
hemp. At least nine states allow cultivation and research.

Others are likely to look at hemp because the new federal farm bill 
allows state agriculture departments and universities to research the 
crop, Wallman said.

Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis said the national Farm Bureau supports 
industrial hemp legislation.

Under LB 1001, hemp farmers would have to get a license from the 
Nebraska Department of Agriculture to grow the crop.

Licensing requirements would include providing documentation about 
the source of the seeds and about sales of the crop.

A report from the Congressional Research Service said more than 
25,000 products are made from hemp fiber, the interior of the stalk, 
seeds and oils.

Among the products are fabrics, yarns, paper, carpeting, home 
furnishings, auto parts, animal bedding, composites, foods and 
beverages, body care products and industrial oils.

Information provided by Wallman's office said Americans bought an 
estimated $500 million worth of industrial hemp products in 2013. 
Almost all of it was imported from China.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom