Keep hemp seeds legal
The Concord Monitor recently reported that NH Attorney General John Formella sent a letter to the U.S. Senate, urging them to not delay implementation of a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products. Fortunately, the Senate voted to delay the ban until December 11, allowing time for consideration of legislation that would establish hemp product safety regulations and prohibit the sale of intoxicating hemp products to minors.
Though the article was accompanied by a picture of hemp seeds, the article failed to mention that the new federal hemp law would destroy the American hemp seed market. Unless amended, the new law would categorize hemp seeds as Schedule 1 controlled substances, if the seeds came from plants with over 0.3% total THC. It would place such seeds under the jurisdiction of the DEA, rather than the USDA, even though hemp seeds contain no THC.
The new law would require total, flawless traceback for all hemp seeds produced in the U.S. This would undermine the entire U.S. hemp industry and put it at a competitive disadvantage with countries such as Canada and China.
No other seeds are regulated by the chemical composition of their parent plants, or by the genetic potential of their offspring. The new law would constitute a massive government overreach and be incredibly complex and expensive to enforce.
I urge readers to contact your members of Congress and urge them to establish clear, enforceable regulations for intoxicating hemp products, and to regulate hemp seeds like all other agricultural seeds.