HempCyberFarm Tennesee

Hemp Cultivation in Tennesee?
The situation in Tennesee: For other articles see events page or answer 20.

A major effort is underway to push hemp legislation through various state governments.

House Bill 864 (Beavers)

Amends state law to allow the development of industrial hemp seed as a state resource.

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/101gahtm/BillInfoScreen.asp

Representative Kathryn I. Bowers, Vice Chair
Tennessee House Agriculture Committee
Fax: (615) 741-1041

MAS/Dogwood support for Hemp in Tennessee

Subject: MAS/Dogwood support for Hemp in TN
Memphis Audubon Society
3849 Spottswood Memphis, TN 38111

April 8, 1997
Representative Kathryn I. Bowers, Vice Chair
Tennessee House Agriculture Committee
Fax: 615-741-1041

Representative Givens,

It is my understanding that the Tennessee House Agriculture Committee will hear testimony today on the introduction of industrial hemp cultivation in our state. I urge your committee to seriously consider this testimony and recognize the economic and environmental solutions that this crop offers the people of Tennessee. In my support of industrial hemp I represent the Memphis Audubon Society and the Dogwood Alliance, a coalition of more than 40community-based grassroots organizations throughout the South.

Industrial hemp represents the best alternative to traditional wood fibers used in the production of paper and other pulp based manufacturing. In this age of steadily increasing demand for high-value select hardwood stock and intense competition for pulpwood resources, it is essential that we utilize alternative agricultural fiber resources to supply pulp and paper needs while protecting our forest base for long-term value-added industries such as furniture, flooring, veneer and select lumber production.

By producing and using industrial hemp and other annual fiber crops, we can ensure a continuous supply of pulp to the paper industry while providing a much needed lucrative cash crop for Tennessee farmers. The length and strength of the hemp fiber make it ideal for paper, paperboard and particle board manufacturing, products now made by chipping and pulping our hardwood growing stock. Industrial hemp is also well suited for cellulose- based chemical engineering such as rayon.

In the last 10 years pulpwood production has increased more than 20% in the Southeast region and hardwood chip exports increased some 500% from 1989-1995. In 1995, more than 50,000 acres of hardwood forests were clear-cut and chipped to supply Japan's needs alone. This demand for pulp material is having an increasingly deleterious effect on our forests ability to provide a full range of timber, recreational, habitat and other ecological values. Competition with the pulpwood industry for saw logs has hurt employment as higher prices and declining availability of saw timber has forced many solid wood industries out of business.

Industrial hemp can supply the growing global market for paper fibers.Hemp is already grown in numerous countries including Canada, China and most of the European Economic Community.

Japanese investors have visited other states to explore the possibility of contracting farmers to supply agricultural fibers to their paper and cellulose industries. Several other states have already taken the lead on the reintroduction of hemp cultivation. It's time for Tennessee to position itself to take full advantage of the lucrative market that industrial hemp represents.

The value of oak saw logs is approximately $25/ton, the value of pulpwood only $5/ton. Our forests should be managed for select lumber, solid wood manufacturing and ecological values. Pulp should be grown annually.

Please move your committee to fully study the opportunity presented by reintroduction of industrial hemp.

Sincerely,

Scott Banbury, President
Memphis Audubon Society
a Member of the Dogwood Alliance
901-452-5086 or sbanbury@magibox.net

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*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.