WATCH: Farmers Arrested for Planting Hemp in DEA Front Lawn
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Local farmer Will Allen got together with some of his friends last Tuesday to dig up a little earth and plant some seeds. As they expected, they were all promptly arrested. Why? Well, the seeds they were sowing were hemp, and the place they were planting them was the front lawn of the DEA in Washington.
Allen, along with David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, and five others, were protesting the restriction on growing industrial hemp within the US. Their argument goes something like this: hemp is not marijuana and it won’t get you high. Hemp has a variety of industrial uses, and its prohibition means American farmers are losing millions of dollars to other countries that permit the cultivation of hemp, like China and Canada.
Now that the Justice Department has signaled its intent to cease prosecuting medical marijuana users who comply with state law, the time has come to re-examine the wrong-headed ban on weed’s non-psychoactive cousin.
From Alternet:
Fresh from the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) annual convention last weekend in Washington, DC, a pair of real life farmers who want to be hemp farmers joined with hemp industry figures and spokesmen to travel across the Potomac River to DEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, where, in an act of civil disobedience, they took shovels to the lawn and planted hemp seeds. Within a few minutes, they were arrested and charged with trespassing.
Hoping to focus the attention of the Obama administration on halting DEA interference, North Dakota farmer Wayne Hauge, Vermont farmer Will Allen, HIA President Steve Levine, hemp-based soap producer and Vote Hemp director David Bronner, Vote Hemp communications director Adam Eidinger, and hemp clothing company owner Isaac Nichelson were arrested in the action as another dozen or so supporters and puzzled DEA employees looked on.
“Who has a permit?” demanded a DEA security official. “A permit — that’s what we want from the DEA,” Bronner responded.
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October 26th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Some years back I watched, with much surprise, the DEA or the ATF (I don’t remember which) invade an Indian Reservation and destroy their hemp crops. That land is Indian land and the US has no jurisdiction over their land. But yet, they take it, illegally. The Indians on their Reservations should have a right to grow whatever they please. But, we have a double standard in this country and it STINKS. Yes, growing HEMP in America should be LEGAL. Why give other countries around the world our business when Americans could be employed, right now, in the hemp industry? If we are finally leagalizing marijuana in various states, what about hemp - which is not marijuana and will do more for the environment and is a greener product than many we actively cultivate?! Where does the President stand on this? He’s smart enough to know this is right. We are waiting to hear from you. J Mood
January 26th, 2010 at 8:23 am
With so many sides of this ongoing debate being considered, one is very much overlooked.
Under the Bush administration a media presentation depicted a marijuana user as being a “Sponsor of terrorists,” further emphaizing this by ending the televised commercial with the question of it being okay to “Sponsor terrorists a little,” that it was only a small bag of marijuana. Let’s reevaluate this perspective. A significant portion of the terrorists financing is raised through direct sale of Afghanistan-grown poppies that are processed into heroine. However, it is oil that is these radicals primary resource. This is inarguably true. Never mind that Karzai’s own brother is reportedly one of the primary distributors of this, which of course sponsors those fighting our sons and daughters in a war costing lives. Well, let’s see. If we were running our vehicles with hemp-based fuels there would be far less interest in the Middle East. Our interests there are clearly founded by our ever growing needs for petroleum and all petroleum related products. If the government made the very viable and lucrative decision to reverse the hemp related laws then we would not be sponsoring terrorists by financing those with ill intentions toward our nation. So, the government made us reliant upon foreign, non-renewable energies that, without a doubt serve as a primary sponsor of terrorists. Manufacturing our own fuel immediately depletes the terrorists resources to buy weapons to destroy our nation’s security. Broken down, each and every time you put fuel in your vehicle, your are sponsoring a terrorist somewhere along the way in the very extensive petroleum pipeline. So, go ahead, fill up the tank. But ask yourself if it is okay to sponsor a terrorist a little? Stop the madness. Invest in the security of our nations future. Disregard the worthless rhetoric and do your own research. Hemp is useful to our nations future economically, environmentally and, as stated as a tool toward peace. Legislators arguing this should have their list of constituents be exposed to show their only true argument. Big Oil is killing our economy, our environment and costing our sons and daughters their lives. Vote for American prosperity. Vote for global environmental balance. Vote for peace. Most importantly, vote for terminating those spreading the propaganda which is doing our country and global community direct and deliberate harm. Vote these people out of office.