US ND: Judge Plans to Rule on Industrial Hemp Motion by End of

JUDGE PLANS TO RULE ON INDUSTRIAL HEMP MOTION BY END OF MONTH BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota producers who are thinking of seeding industrial hemp next spring like their Canadian neighbors could be one step closer by the end of November. After hearing arguments on the industrial hemp lawsuit Nov. 14 in Bismarck, N.D., U.S. District Judge Dan Hovland said he will issue a ruling on the case by the end of the month. That won't be the final answer however. Tim Purdon, one of the attorneys for the two farmers who filed the lawsuit - North Dakota State Rep. David Monson of Osnabrock, and Wayne Hauge of Ray - said if the judge rules in their favor, there will other motions that "will be put into play." The current case the judge will rule on is the DEA's motion to dismiss the producers' lawsuit. Adam Eidinger, communication director for VoteHemp ( a single-issue group that wants U.S. farmers to be able to grow industrial hemp ), said the court "asked all the right questions" for a ruling that could go in favor of the two producers. "I felt good about how it went," Eidinger said. "We were thankful the court gave us as much time as he did. That wouldn't happen in Washington, D.C." During arguments, Hovland said he doubted the two North Dakota farmers would ever receive a license from the DEA to grow hemp, citing the status of an application to the DEA by North Dakota State University to cultivate hemp seeds to find varieties that suit the Northern Plains as required by the ND State Legislature. NDSU has been waiting eight years for the DEA license but has never gotten one. DEA attorney Wendy Ertmer countered that there had been two cases of the DEA granting university licenses for marijuana research - one to Hawaii and one to Mississippi. She didn't, however, know the specifics of either case. Ertmer added that there "could be any number of reasons" why the application was taking so long. However, she was not able to state those reasons, saying the only time frame requirement for the DEA to respond to any application is the initial 60 days. Hovland said, "Why doesn't the DEA deny the application so we can move on from here? In my view, I don't see any realistic prospect that the DEA will issue ( a license to the farmers )." Attorney Joe Sandler, who argued the case in court for the two North Dakota producers, said what makes this case different than any other case where farmers wanted to grow hemp was the state license. "North Dakota is the first and only state with a regulatory system in place for cultivating industrial hemp," Sandler said. The state has not only issued the producers a license to grow it, but has passed laws ordering the state ag department and the attorney general to regulate it, he said. The only part of the hemp plant that would leave the farmer's field would be the seed, stalk, or oil - parts which are used to make consumer products. Eidinger later said that there are no flowers on the industrial hemp plant, anyway, as there are with a marijuana plant because it is pollinated. The growing season is different so the hemp will produce seeds, not flowers. Industrial hemp in North Dakota would have to have less than .3 of 1 percent THC ( rendering it non-psychoactive ). "That's the lowest amount of any country growing industrial hemp in the world today," Sandler told the court. The judge asked if there would be "enforcement nightmares" from regulating industrial hemp. Sandler said it was unclear why the DEA was concerned about industrial hemp growing in North Dakota since none of the parts containing THC would ever leave the farmer's field. The judge asked Ertmer if she knew about a House bill introduced in Congress that would redefine marijuana to exclude industrial hemp. That bill would essentially remove hemp from the controlled substances regulation. Ertmer said she had no idea of the status of the bill, stating that since hemp contains a small amount of THC, it is a controlled substance. Sandler told the court there had been no hearings on the House bill, and added changing a law of this kind in Congress would likely take a long time. Eidinger later said the reason the bill is languishing in the House is because Congress is waiting to see what happens to the case in North Dakota. Ertmer told the court during arguments that the two producers shouldn't be able to move forward on a lawsuit until after they had grown hemp and were criminally prosecuted by the DEA. "They have to open themselves to a crime to challenge the DEA?" the judge countered. At a later interview, producers Monson and Hauge talked about the many commercial endeavors possible for industrial hemp. Monson said his neighbors to the north in Canada who grow hemp are still reaping a $200 to $300 profit per acre over traditional crops. Two years ago, Monson spoke at a winter conference in Winnepeg, where he found out that Canada was willing to sell U.S. farmers its hemp seed. They don't see the U.S. as competition because of the amount of possibilities for hemp - such as rope and clothing. Currently, the U.S. can import hemp products, but can't grow it. "If we could grow it, right now there's a number of businesses that could use it. We could supply a niche market," Monson said. Monson added he had some good crops on his farm this year, but knows hemp would produce better because it grows tall and crowds out weeds. Diseases are not really a problem with hemp, either. Monson said he suffers almost every year from scab in wheat. "Wheat that should have had yields of 60 to 80 bushels this year were down to 40 to 45 bushels," he said. "We had some very good crops but we're not getting the yields because we're too wet." Fortunately this year, the scab was early enough that it didn't affect the sampling, Monson said. He said he didn't get a discount for his wheat at the elevator, mainly because wheat is in short supply throughout the world. Monson said industrial hemp would also be good as a biomass crop for ethanol plants. "We need more biofuel with the price of fuel," he added. With hemp not an option right now, Monson said he introduced a bill this year in the state House that would "advance switchgrass as a biofuel." Other states are using corn stover, but North Dakota would be an ideal state to grow switchgrass in, he added.

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UK: Drug Barons Target Norfolk, Say Police

DRUG BARONS TARGET NORFOLK, SAY POLICE Quiet Norfolk suburbs are being targeted by crime barons looking to turn rental properties into lucrative drugs factories, it emerged last night. The alert came after one couple let their Wymondham home to a person they thought was a respectable Malaysian businessman - then discovered the semi-detached property had been used in a sophisticated cannabis growing operation. Each factory is capable of producing tens of thousands of pounds in profit. After the latest discovery police have reissued advice on how to stop criminals operating under our noses. It is not the first time homeowners and agents have been exploited - in the past year similar discoveries have been made in Norwich, Yarmouth and King's Lynn - and dozens more may be unwittingly letting properties to gangs. Police spokesman Kristina Fox said the force had led a number of successful prosecutions in recent months and other cases were still waiting to come to court. Many of these involved gangs leasing properties in residential streets. She added: "We have undoubtedly made a big dent in local cannabis supply. We would appeal to members of the public to report anything suspicious to us so we can repeat this success. "If you have a property near to you where no one seems to be living but there are suspicious comings and goings report it to us. "Cannabis production is a serious offence and our work to combat this issue will remain on-going. "We urge the public to remain vigilant in respect of cannabis cultivation in their community. Should a member of the public grow suspicious of a property, they shouldn't approach the occupiers, but call the police." David Hastings let his three-bedroom property in a leafy street four months ago. He now faces a repair bill of up to UKP20,000 after he uncovered the crime. He said: "There were a large number of empty boxes in the house and garage which had contained power packs, switchboards, lamps and reflectors and there is evidence that the electricity meter has been tampered with. "There were ventilation holes in the ceilings and floorboards had been hacked up. We now have a big clean-up on our hands and it seems like there is little the police can do." Drugs farmers often use hydroponic systems to accelerate plant growth. This means they can reap up to three harvests a year. "Gardeners" are employed to tend the crops with the income being passed up the chain. It seems likely that at least one yield was produced at the Hastings' property, meaning that a profit worth tens of thousands of pounds would have been made. The tenants had made excuses to cover up their activities. The man who signed the contract said his wife was "shy" and asked that Mr Hastings did not approach the property without permission. This also explained why windows were covered up. Mr Hastings noticed that the property was kept unusually warm but put this down to cultural differences. He only became suspicious when he asked to inspect the house and the tenants were evasive. By then it was too late as they quickly vacated the property. "They had carried out some remedial work which included painting the ceilings with white gloss paint and some holes in the ceiling had been poorly repaired and covered with Artex ceiling roses," he said. "It was obvious they had been growing cannabis in there, it even had a funny smell. But they had the nerve to ask for their deposit back." Landlords and letting agents should be aware of tenants offering to pay months of rent in advance or going above the average rate. They should never accept cash and always ask for bank details. They should be particularly suspicious if a tenant denies them access to the property or refuses entry to certain rooms.

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US WI: PUB LTE: 2008 Forum to Offer Latest on Medical Cannabis

2008 FORUM TO OFFER LATEST ON MEDICAL CANNABIS Sir, Thanks for the series on medical cannabis ( October issue ). May I point out that the complete report on the use of therapeutic cannabis you wrote about is properly titled, "Chronic Cannabis Use in the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program: An Examination of Benefits and Adverse Effects of Legal Clinical Cannabis." ( Russo, Mathre, Byrne et al 2002 ) The complete study may be found at www.medicalcannabis.com. Patients Out of Time ( Mr. ( Gary ) Storck is on our Board of Advisers ) is a 501c3 educational charity. We educate medical doctors and registered nurses about the therapeutic applications of cannabis. Our next forum is "The Fifth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics" to be held April 4&5, 2008, near Monterey, CA. The elected politicians who speak derisively of medical cannabis need to understand that this accredited conference is co-sponsored by the Medical School of the University of California-San Francisco and the California Nurses Association. This accreditation process is approved by the American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association. Past conferences have been similarly supported. These are hardly institutions that are being duped by that ever-present lurking band of marijuana legalizers. Please also note that "The Petition to Reschedule Cannabis" sits in the Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. awaiting signature. To see the over fifty thousand pages of worldwide research on the subject, information that does not seem to impress some of your less than enlightened politically adept lawyers you folks call Representatives, see www.drugscience.org which will provide you with over 15 pages of references. For those that want to watch and not read, at the video section of www.google.com search "Patients Out of Time" and dozens of lectures taken from this conference series are available to all. Cannabis and pregnancy, cannabis and Neuroprotection, cannabis and nutrition, cannabis and AIDS, and dozens more subjects are provided for your state's education. The efficacy of medical cannabis is not a myth. The myth is that folks like Ms. L. Vukmir, RN, speak with authority. Do some reading, watch a video, attend an accredited conference of experts and watch the faulty, ignorant, opinions of Vukmir and others disappear in volumes of peer-reviewed science. Al Byrne, co-founder Patients Out of Time 1472 Fish Pond Rd. Howardsville, VA 24562

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Afghanistan: Drug Dogs Unleashed in Kandahar Searches

DRUG DOGS UNLEASHED IN KANDAHAR SEARCHES OTTAWA - Canadian military police have started using drug dogs to search troops' bags at Kandahar Air Field after being tipped about soldiers suspected of using heroin, hash and pot, say newly released documents. Although there were no drug seizures reported, a briefing note says illegal drugs are readily available in Afghanistan and present a "temptation for Canadian troops in the form of personal use and in the form of importation for the purpose of trafficking." The documents, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, indicate there were at least five targeted and random searches of soldiers' belongings in June and July at Kandahar Air Field. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, an independent military police unit, used dogs trained to sniff out drugs to search about 90 soldiers and more than 100 barrack boxes. Military police took the names of soldiers in a convoy that was searched following a tip in July. The briefing note says that search didn't produce enough evidence to justify charges, but military police were to check their records "for any other indication of illicit drug use/trafficking" among those in the convoy. It's unclear why military police did the background checks because an e-mail outlining the incident was partly censored. Defence Department spokeswoman Capt. Julie Roberge said she wouldn't comment on specific searches. She said the military uses the dogs if it has a "reasonable doubt" there may be drugs at Kandahar Air Field or at one of the forward operating bases. "As soon as there's a doubt . . . of course there's going to be a followup," Roberge said. She said the dogs are a "NATO asset" shared among coalition forces. The Canadian military is field-testing its own drug-sniffing dogs in Canada with the intent of eventually using them in Afghanistan, she added. Liberal defence critic Denis Coderre, who travelled to Afghanistan last month on an unofficial fact-finding trip, said he saw no evidence of drugs nor did he witness any dog searches. The briefing note raised questions about whether the searches violated soldiers' Charter rights, particularly their expectation of privacy and the right to be secure against unreasonable searches. But it concludes that targeted and random searches of convoys are an "effective and efficient method" of deterring troops from using or trafficking drugs without negatively affecting operations. Word of the Kandahar searches follows charges laid this week against an Ottawa-based soldier for allegedly trafficking pot and hashish after an 11-month undercover sting operation by the military police unit. Master Cpl. Steven Pearson was charged with five counts related to the alleged trafficking and possession of marijuana and hashish dating back to January 2006. There have been other high-profile incidents in recent years of alleged drug trafficking within the military. Four crew members of HMCS Saskatoon were charged this year after a military police unit launched an undercover sting operation targeting the small coastal patrol ship in early 2006. A court martial for one officer charged with trafficking cocaine and disgraceful behaviour under the National Defence Act has been adjourned until next year. Two other crew members pleaded guilty and were given suspended sentences and fines, while the third was cleared of one charge and had a second one stayed.

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