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Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 10:16:25 AM EST
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California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill to grow hemp. Here's his letter to the Assembly explaining his decision. Snippets:

I would like to support the expansion of a new agricultural commodity in this State. Unfortunately, I am very concerned that this bill would give legitimate growers a false sense of security and a belief that production of "industrial hemp" is somehow a legal activity under federal law.

....I understand there are several court decisions that may cloud this issue such as Hemp Industries Association v. DEA, 357 F.3d 1012, 1018 (9th Cir.2004) and United States v. White Plume, 447 F.3d 1067 (8th Cir. 2006). Yet, no court has specifically ruled that a live cannabis plant is a non-controlled substance or that farming these plants is not a regulated activity. As a result, it would be improper to approve a measure that directly conflicts with current federal statutes and court decisions. This only serves to cause confusion and reduce public confidence in our government system.

Finally, California law enforcement has expressed concerns that implementation of this
measure could place a drain on their resources and cause significant problems with drug enforcement activities. This is troubling given the needs in this state for the eradication and prevention of drug production.

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    • Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#1)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 11:41:16 AM EST
    I understand there are several court decisions that may cloud this issue
    Arnold himself has clouded the issue. And, yes, I'll be here all week.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 11:41:16 AM EST
    Shorter Arnie....I'd love to help you guys and end the foolish prohibition of hemp in California...but federal agents with guns feel differently and I am powerless against them.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 12:33:04 PM EST
    Shorter Arnie: "I got mine, but now I'm in the club."

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#4)
    by squeaky on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 12:43:21 PM EST
    Could it be that his friends in the lumber industry (his forestry appointees) are against a inexpensive environmently friendly, acid free, and quickly replenishable resource for making paper?
    Schwarzenegger has also tapped timber industry officials for some of the most powerful jobs overseeing the state's environment. Jim Branham, Cal/EPA's undersecretary, came from Pacific Lumber, where he was the company's lobbyist. Melinda Terry, the former lobbyist for the industry's trade group, the California Forestry Assn., is in charge of legislative affairs at the state Resources Agency. "The timber industry seems to have had their stock rise dramatically under this administration," said Paul Mason, the forestry representative for Sierra Club California. "I wonder about the industry lobbying groups, because it seems all of their people are going into the administration." Ashley Snee, a Schwarzenegger spokeswoman, said that accusation "is not worth the paper or the tree it would take to print it on."
    link This is not about pot and the feds it's about paper and the lumber industry.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 01:20:00 PM EST
    Thanks Squeaky...I should have known better...follow the money.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#6)
    by dutchfox on Mon Oct 02, 2006 at 04:51:07 PM EST
    And don't forget the auto and oil companies.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Oct 03, 2006 at 02:51:18 PM EST
    And to think that hemp was the leading agricultural export of Connecticut as a British colony. Wild and crazy days, but nobody thought to smoke it. The silly thing, of course, is that while hemp does indeed have seven leaves, it is common ditchweed with no cannabinol or THC content. Is the ditchweed W clears off his ranch and burns actually the real deal? Why don't we all glue up poison ivy with 4 extra leaves, and send them to the local narcs. Maybe a few scratchy throats, eh? Reminds me of the early days of Nixon's China initiative. It is said that the Chinese hosts cobbled together western-style toilets for the US diplomats. Unfortunately they used wood from a Rhus species (a family which includes the source of lacquer, sumac, and--poison ivy). The result could have been predicted.

    Re: Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Oct 04, 2006 at 07:14:47 PM EST
    I can understand why he has his "reasons" but the real reason that hemp is illegal is so that it cannot compete with lumber (that kills our forests), oil(which causes cancer), cotton(which uses the most pesticides and herbicides and pollutes the ground water) and legal drugs (which kill people Tobacco 435,000 Alcohol 85,000 Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,000 All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect 17,000 Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin 6006 MARIJUANA 0 Deaths (ever)!! did you read that? Hemp will save our economy, free us from our dependence on oil...GET SOME BALLS ARNOLD!! oh I forgot you lost those in Hollywood!! I will never vote for you and neither will California!!

    Its all fear (none / 0) (#9)
    by wadeaz1 on Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 04:57:42 PM EST
    Arnold is unwilling to step on anyone toes. As far as enforcement, if you license the person and land to grow industrial hemp and you find someone growing it where they aren't supposed to then they are subject  to penalties and fines. What a better way to increase the coffers of the state than fines. They do it with traffic and every other BS law, why not this.

    Schwarzenegger Vetoes Hemp Bill | 9 comments (9 topical)