The Governor Did What?!

The Governor of California, who allegedly represents his state and is by law a defender of the state’s medical cannabis industry, has vetoed the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act because he is afraid of federal intervention. It saddens me greatly that half a lifetime ago I revered Governor Jerry Brown as a political hero in the mold of Tom Hayden, Cesar Chavez, and even Robert Kennedy. It’s tragic what time can do to a man, and Jerry Brown is no longer worthy of anything other than pity and anger. He has lost his courage.

Industrial hemp has great promise as a renewable, alternative raw material to petrochemicals in composite and textile products. Its seed, as a food source, is second to none nutritionally. With a perfect balance of omega three and six essential fatty acids, it is a nearly complete, easily digestible protein. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps – an organic, free trade, and progressive company – currently imports 20 tons of hemp oil annually from Canada for use in their soaps. It is their goal to source this hemp oil from hemp grown on American soil. This is the case for many California companies.

Industrial hemp is not capable of producing any kind of high whatsoever, yet our government continues to block re-commercialization of industrial hemp by conflating it with medical marijuana. On October 9, Governor Brown of California used his voice to call the federal ban on industrial hemp farming “absurd” while at the same time hypocritically using his pen to veto the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The corporate stranglehold and hysterical drug warriors’ lock on cannabis/hemp policy continues unchecked under President Obama.

In a state that is floundering in a massive debt with high unemployment and, apparently, no leadership, the Governor has vetoed a bill that promised to give jobs to its citizens while growing an eco-industry that is sorely needed in this country. Moreover, it would not have cost the taxpayer a dime! Corporate members of the Hemp Industries Association – including Dr. Bronner’s, Nature’s Path, Nutiva and several others – have pledged to jump in and sponsor this amazing opportunity for California and the entire country at no cost to the government and its citizens. While every product derived from the industrial hemp plant is legal, we are the only industrialized country in the world that does not grow this versatile and durable plant. What the hell is wrong here?

As I see it, our government – state, federal and otherwise – is broken. It has become incumbent upon the people of this country to get involved and take back the freedom and power they have relinquished. This is a good place to start. If you also believe that industrial hemp is a unique plant that can help build a green economy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, please make yourself heard. For more information on industrial hemp and how to bring it back to our farmers, please go to www.votehemp.com and www.hempindustries.org.

The veto of SB676, the California Hemp Farming Act, borders on treason. It will harm both the citizens and the environment of this country, respectively facing rising unemployment and disastrous global warming. At the very least, this veto by Brown was highly irresponsible and callous.

As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, “To stay experimentation in things social and economic is a grave responsibility. Denial of the right to experiment may be fraught with serious consequences to the nation. It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”

It’s up to us now, as it always has been.