"David Monson is a conservative Republican in North Dakota's legislature. He's also a farmer who believes that a new cash crop could revitalize his state's agricultural industry, which has been suffering from poor harvests and depressed soy and corn prices." An in-depth USA Today article goes on to point out that industrial hemp "is at the center of a battle between unlikely foes: angry farmers such as Monson who are leading increasingly vocal calls for the U.S. government to legalize the growing of what's known as 'industrial' hemp, and federal anti-drug officials who say that allowing such crops would create a slippery slope toward legalizing marijuana."

Focused on NAIHC board member David Monson who succeeded in getting North Dakota legislation supporting industrial hemp, the article notes that "Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana and West Virginia also have passed hemp-farming bills. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, introduced such a bill in Congress in June, but it hasn't advanced in the face of opposition by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the White House's anti-drug office."

According to the USA Today article, "Growing hemp used to be legal in the USA. During World War II, the government urged farmers to grow it for much-needed rope and textiles. But in 1970, Congress designated hemp -- along with marijuana and heroin -- as a 'Schedule 1' drug under the Controlled Substances Act, making it illegal to grow hemp without a license from the DEA. Today, the USA is the only developed nation that has not established hemp as a crop, the Congressional Research Service says. Great Britain lifted its ban in 1993; Germany did so in 1996 and Canada followed two years later. The European Union has subsidized hemp production since the 1990s."

The article concludes with a quote from David Bronner of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps: "This is becoming a serious commodity. You have farmers in North Dakota dealing with depressed soy and corn prices. They see Canadians farming industrial hemp. Why are we cutting American farmers out of this rapidly emerging market?"

To read the complete USA Today article, Click here.


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