SACRAMENTO, CA (May 11, 2007) — California's Assembly today voted 41 to 29, with 9 members not voting, to approve AB 684, the California Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007. The legislation gives farmers the right to grow non-psychoactive industrial hemp which is commonly made into everything from food, clothing and paper to body care, bio-fuel and even auto parts. The bill now goes to the Senate where it is expected to have enough support to pass. The text of the legislation can be found on our California page.

AB 684 was authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine). This is the second time in two years that a bi-partisan hemp farming bill has passed the Assembly. Last year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1147 which was nearly identical to AB 684. At that time, the Governor claimed the bill would put farmers in jeopardy of federal prosecution if they grew hemp despite assurances by Vote Hemp and other supporting organizations, such as the California-based Hemp Industries Association and California Certified Organic Farmers, that there would be a challenge prior to implementation to the Drug Enforcement Administration's legal authority to interfere with the state hemp farming law.

"Passage of the hemp farming bill in the Assembly is a sign that it is likely to reach Governor Schwarzenegger's desk for the second year in row," says Vote Hemp Director and San Francisco Attorney Patrick Goggin. "The mood in Sacramento is this bill is consistent with California's effort to be a leader concerning U.S. environmental policy. Hemp is a versatile plant that can replace polluting crops such as cotton and is taking off as an organic food and body care ingredient. It is time to jump into the expanding market for hemp which California companies currently must import from Canada and elsewhere."

Today more than 30 industrialized nations grow industrial hemp and export it to the U.S. It is the only crop that is illegal for Americans to grow yet legal to import. Sales of hemp food and body care products have grown rapidly in recent years, fueling an expansion of hemp farming in Canada which topped 48,000 acres in 2006.

A telephone poll (with a 3.5% margin of error) of likely California voters conducted February 22-26 showed a total of 71% support changing state law to allow farmers to grow hemp. The survey was conducted by the respected research firm Zogby International on behalf of Vote Hemp and five manufacturers of hemp food products, including ALPSNACK, French Meadow Bakery, Living Harvest, Nature's Path Organic Foods and Nutiva.

Poll questions and results regarding industrial hemp farming policy and consumer attitudes on hemp products and nutrition can be viewed online at our Polls page. There is evidence of strong support among both men and women and both self-identified liberal and conservative voters on the issue. 60% of California Republicans support changing state law on hemp, compared to 74% of state Democrats. Support was also strong among all age groups, ranging from 54% of 18-to-29 year-olds to 82% of 30-to-49 year-olds, 74% of 50-to-64 year-olds and 60% of those over 65.

Vote Hemp is a non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow industrial hemp. Industrial hemp is non-psychoactive, low-THC varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant.

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