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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories The new normal under climate change? Public Meetings: March 2-6 Mail Tribune 100: March 1, 1915 Since You Asked: Who cleans up around the Medford library? Emergency services, March 1 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services, March 1 Two injured in White City house fire Family, friends of Central Point fire victim try to cover costs Feds charge California couple with medical device fraud Emergency services, Feb. 28 Politics and Elections Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Education MSD considers adding a health center at one of the city's high schools Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Territorial Seed contribution a boost for SOU food program 200-plus Jackson County students miss vaccination deadline Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Environment The new normal under climate change? Lost Creek Lake algae bloom subsides Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday State News Oregon considers banning non-medical vaccine exemptions Bill to dissolve Cover Oregon heads to Governor Brown Oregon official says he was questioned by FBI, IRS Hayes wants her private emails protected Oregon Senate votes unanimously to outlaw 'revenge porn' Nation - World Obituaries Clara "Jackie" Bean Mae Kathleen Quaccia Joseph (Joe) Torres Margaret M. Moffitt Ruby Beck Perkins Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Crusaders headed to tourney with victory McCoy revels in state title State Wrestling Results Twice as nice Rousey makes quick work of Cat Varsity 541 College Sports No. 7 Arizona overtakes No. 13 Utah Raiders upset Knights, in title contest Raiders top William Jessup, salvage split Beavers claim first Pac-12 title with win OIT stuns Raiders Pro Sports Rousey makes quick work of Cat Depleted Hawks beat Heat Cowboys plan to 'franchise' Bryant Federer defends Dubai title against Djokovic Rain-pummeled Honda Classic to finish Monday Community Sports Business Latest Stories Business Briefs: Feb. 28 People in Business: Feb. 28 Medford Fabrication isn't afraid to go big Ride & Drive: 2015 Audi R8 Blog: Friends Forever Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 1 Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Editorials Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government Other Views: Brown's list of challenges is lengthy Our View: School attendance bill could backfire Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 1 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 28 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 27 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 25 Columns Dana Milbank: Jeb Bush, CPAC pinata Charles Krauthammer: The fatal flaw in the Iran deal GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling George Will: Two reading lessons from the Supreme Court Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinions GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry Guest Opinion: Predatory banking practices bilk citizens Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Lifestyle Latest stories Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? Adopt a Pet: Moby Wedding: Schwartz-Gibbs If it gives you joy, keep it Discover the beauty and wonder of Oxnard Food Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Community blog: Support local CSA farms by signing up Saturday Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheeseburger pie is the perfect winter comfort food Page H. Onorato: Hot dogs I have known and loved Season Stepp: Tips for roasting vegetables Home and Garden Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Health Health Watch: Sticking to your health plan when your family isn’t helping Community blog: Finding Your Indomitable Spirit to Defeat Addiction Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Beet’ high blood pressure with borscht Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Theater Review: In "Much Ado," why not let Shakespeare be Shakespeare? 'She Stoops' rises on SOU stage SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season Music Rogue Valley Symphony showcases Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner Live Music in Local Clubs HAPA plays the Historic Ashland Armory An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Great Outdoor Grill offers healthful options Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling ... Our View: Drawing back the curtain on government ... Public Meetings: March 2-6 ... GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Don't overregulate Oregon's hemp industry By Leo Goodman MailTribune.com By Leo Goodman Posted Feb. 28, 2015 @ 12:08 pm By Leo Goodman Posted Feb. 28, 2015 @ 12:08 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> I feel we need to set the record straight in regard to the Indian Hemp Plant, commonly known as Marijuana. As you know, with the passage of Measure 91 marijuana is now legal to grow in Oregon for the first time in almost 80 years. Eighty years ago, before the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act, farmers grew various cultivars of the Indian hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa), producing food, fiber, fuel and medicine. Now there are thousands of products that can be made from this most valuable natural resource. In 1938, Popular Mechanics magazine did a cover story about hemp's potential to become the next billion-dollar crop. That was in 1938 dollars, so you can just imagine what a hemp crop could be worth in today's market. There's a lot more to this story. Hemp has been grown for at least 10,000 years. The earliest known relic of industry is a scrap of hemp cloth over 8,000 years old. Hemp is our heritage, which we are finally waking up to. For most of this country's history, if someone wanted to plant a crop of hemp they would just get out a bag of seed and plant it. George Washington said "Make the most of the hemp plant. Sow it everywhere for the good of the nation." Now we have a situation where four states have legalized marijuana. In Oregon, Measure 91 passed by nearly 12 percent, with 847,865 voters in favor of allowing persons over 21 to cultivate four cannabis plants per household. Suppose 500,000 Oregonians choose to do that; that's 2 million more cannabis plants planted in Oregon, which does not include the hundreds of thousands of plants already being grown for medicine. With the passage of the Farm Bill In Congress in 2014, states that have existing laws to grow "industrial hemp" will not be harassed by the federal government. So you say, "Cool, let's get on with it!" I agree, but there are still some obstacles, this time coming from the Department of Agriculture in Salem. Their license fees are prohibitive and their rules are overly restrictive. There are 15 pages of rules covering the growing and handling of hemp seed. Give me a break! Farmers already know how to grow and handle seed. There's more: Not just any hemp seed will do. No, it has to be the low-THC dwarf varieties coming out of Canada. And Canadian law prohibits export of fertile hemp seed to the U.S. As it happens, that degenerate variety they call industrial hemp will yield less than a third as much seed oil as other, more robust, high-THC varieties. Look at the crops shown in the 1942 short film "Hemp For Victory" for comparison. THC is supposedly the problem, and was the excuse for hemp prohibition in the first place. That's why they still say the THC levels need to be so low. But wait a minute; legalization now changes everything. THC should now become a non-issue. Remember, Oregon could soon have 2 million home-grown high-THC plants. So why stop farmers from growing the most productive varieties, unless keeping hemp from competing with other major industries was the real motive for hemp prohibition all along. Remember what George Washington said: "Make the most of hemp for the good of the Nation." Not "make the most rules and regulations!" Hemp was so vital to the early American colonies that they could not have survived if rules like these had been in place. There is so much more to this subject. Hemp can greatly strengthen Oregon's economy and self-sufficiency, but only if we are allowed to grow it without a lot of counter-productive restrictions. If you want to help fix this, call the folks at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and tell your representatives, and our new governor. Leo Goodman lives in Cave Junction. By Leo Goodman MailTribune.com By Leo Goodman Posted Feb. 28, 2015 @ 12:08 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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