Crossposted at Blue Hampshire
Please call your New Hampshire Senator today and ask her or him to please vote for HB 424, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act.
The Senate floor vote will take place this Thursday, May 10.
You can find your Senator's contact information on the New Hampshire General Court's Who's My Legislator? page. If you already know who your Senator is, you may find her or his contact information on the NH Senate Membership page. Please make your call right now and then fill out the Vote Hemp NH Call Alert Feedback Form. Please also ask your family, friends and favorite farmers to make the call, too!
Talking Points:
- I'm calling to ask you to please vote for HB 424, the New Hampshire Industrial Hemp Farming Act.
- HB 424 would create the most rigorous regulatory scheme controlling industrial hemp production of any state or country.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp to contain less than 0.3% THC.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp production to be limited to the stalk, fiber and seed.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp farmers to be licensed.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp fields to be registered.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp leaves and flowers to be destroyed.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp plots to be five or more acres.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp fields to be inspected.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp plants to be tested.
- HB 424 would require industrial hemp seed to be obtained from the Agriculture Commissioner.
- If any of these conditions are not met, it is not considered to be industrial hemp.
- HB 424 deserves your vote because it both addresses law enforcement concerns and provides an important new opportunity for New Hampshire farmers.
Some Background Information:
After Vote Hemp National Outreach Coordinator Tom Murphy testified before the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee in favor of HB 424, the model hemp farming bill passed the committee. It then passed in the full House on April 5 by a 190-76 vote. Indeed more than 2/3 of the House voted in favor of HB 424!
Mr. Murphy testified again when the bill was heard by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection on April 24, but as expected law enforcement testified in opposition. Major Susan Forey of the New Hampshire State Police and Associate Attorney General Ann Rice presented what we would generously call misinformation.
The Senate committee then voted the bill "Inexpedient to Legislate" by a vote of 5-1 on May 3. This means that they want the bill killed when the full Senate votes on it, which is why we so desperately need you to call your Senator in advance of Thursday's floor vote. With your help, we can override the committee's "no" vote.
Please take action now!
More information is available on the Vote Hemp New Hampshire page. The Senate floor vote will take place this Thursday, May 10. Please remember to make the call to your Senator today.
Thank you for taking action and spreading the word!