LAS VEGAS, April 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP), a leader in the industrial hemp industry reports, today, on more current material events in the industrial hemp and medical marijuana industries. The highlight of the week was the 2nd Annual NoCo Hemp Expo on Saturday, April 4, 2015 in Loveland, Colorado. The expo attracted over 60 exhibiting companies and over 30 industry expert speakers that covered topics related to industrial and medicinal hemp.
The expo showcased a variety of products made from hemp including Hemp, Inc.'s hemp-based cosmeceutical and hemp nutraceutical line and its super botanical Green Smoothie Hemp Protein mix. Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP) is also scheduled to showcase its products at the upcoming LA New Earth Expo on Sunday, April 12, 2015 in Manhattan Beach, CA. To receive a free pass to this upcoming event, courtesy of Hemp, Inc., visit newearthevents.com and click on "Free Pass".
According to Hemp, Inc. executives, there will also be announcement this week on Hemp, Inc.'s joint venture with Dewmar International (OTC:DEWM) on the launch of the new Kush Cakes, now made with hemp flour.
"The focus on marijuana seems to be shifting on to hemp. The decision we made to buy this decortication plant was really a brilliant, strategic decision and will serve us and our shareholders well. It will put us years ahead of anyone else in processing hemp. As this new industry emerges, we'll be ready to help make it a reality," said Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP).
Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. said, "While awareness is increasing, we still have to keep educating the public on the difference between hemp and marijuana and the benefits hemp provide. As the recent news articles show below, not only is there more emphasis on industrial hemp… this movement is reaching a higher level of awareness."
Here's a look at more material events just in the past week alone concerning the industrial hemp industry:
1. Hemp Expo Held In Loveland As Pot Rules Are Changing - Once banned because it is a close cousin to marijuana, hemp is coming back in Colorado and now has its own convention, attracting international interest as a new crop for farmers struggling to find new crops to stay afloat. The expo on Saturday, featuring 70 companies and organizations, is focusing on industrial hemp. The expo will showcases products made from hemp, including paper, food, rope and clothing. There will also be legal experts on hand. (Source: CBS Denver – 4/4/2015)
2. Tarpon 'hemp house' owner an ambassador for no-high crop - Bob Clayton's first encounter with hemp was at a health food store where the fibrous plant was sold in bottles as an ideal source of protein and omega acids. At the time, he had no idea of the many uses for the tall cannabis plant, which Florida farmers are banned from growing due to its association with its psychoactive relative, marijuana. The two happen to come from the same plant, but industrial hemp's chemical makeup doesn't produce a high. What its fibrous stalks can produce is durable clothing, paper and even car dashboards. Clayton, a retired engineer, also saw its potential as an Earth-friendly fiber for construction. (Source: The Suncoast News – 3/30/2015)
3. Rep. Cynthia Thielen Addresses the National Farm Bill - Today the United States Senate approved the Agriculture Act of 2014, also known as the "Farm Bill," which includes legalization of industrial hemp for research purposes. The Farm Bill states that industrial hemp may be grown for the purpose of state university or state Agriculture Department research without Drug Enforcement Administration permission. Ten states have passed legislation legalizing hemp, and House Bill 154 will make Hawaii the eleventh state. State Representative Cynthia Thielen (R, 50th District: Kailua, Kaneohe Bay) co-introduced House Bill 154 which would authorize a two-year industrial hemp remediation and biofuel crop research program conducted through the College of Tropical Agriculture at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. When passed, this progressive legislation will keep Hawaii on the cutting edge of agricultural research, help the state realize the economic capabilities of the crop, and potentially restore land previously damaged by earlier contamination. (Source: US Hemp Co – 4/4/2015)
4. The World's Most Eco-Friendly Car: It's Made Entirely From HEMP - You would never think that a single plant could solve most of the worlds problems, well it can. Hemp has over 50,000 uses, why this plant remains illegal is causing confusion among many. Everything from clothes, medicine, fabrics, fuel and more, hemp is definitely a large threat to a variety of corporations that control energy, health and a number of other industries. Many corporations would see a decline in profit if hemp were to be legalized. One in particular this article will focus on is the automobile industry. The worlds most Eco-friendly car, the Kestrel, was designed in Canada by Calgary-based Motive Industries INC. Unlike the United States government, the Canadian government is open to hemp farming and actively supporting the industrial hemp industry and it's potential benefit for us and our environment. (Source: 3Tags.org)
5. Alaska Action Alert: Help Legalize Industrial Hemp, Nullify Federal Ban, Support SB8 - Alaska SB8 would legalize industrial hemp for production within the state of Alaska, effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on the same. It passed out of the Senate Resources committee and moves to the Judiciary committee. Please take the following actions to support this bill: …(Source: The West Wire News – 4/3/2015)
6. North Dakota Takes Bold Step Forward On Commercial Hemp Industry, Tells Feds To Stay Out - North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) signed a bill into law on Friday that lays the groundwork for a commercial hemp industry and explicitly cuts the federal government out of the state's licensing process. House Bill 1436 establishes guidelines for the state's industrial hemp program and allows people to apply to grow the plant for either research or commercial purposes. With its provision for commercial hemp, the law goes beyond the federal Farm Bill, passed by Congress last year, which allowed some states to cultivate the plant, but only for research purposes and in more restricted pilot programs. The new measure builds on previous legislation that had legalized industrial hemp farming in North Dakota, but had gone largely unimplemented. (Source: Huffington Post - 3/30/2015)
7. Pine Ridge man wants to begin growing industrial hemp again - Alex White Plume planted industrial hemp on his Pine Ridge farm more than a decade ago, but never harvested a crop. Now, he says it's time to grow again. White Plume, an Oglala Sioux tribal member, wants to grow hemp again on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation thanks to guidelines laid out by the federal Department of Justice in December allowing tribes to decide whether to grow and sell marijuana, reported South Dakota Public Broadcasting. (Source: The Daily Republic via Associated Press – 3/30/2015)
8. Thousands Attend The Oregon Hemp Convention After Legalization of Marijuana - The Oregon Hemp Convention took place on Friday and witnessed the gatherings of many people. Coming from all corners of Oregon, these people were found to be casually inspecting colorful bongs made of glass. Oregon is one of the few states allowing marijuana as a recreational drug as well. Jerry Norton was the director of the Convention. The atmosphere inside the convention was too surreal, even though marijuana has been legalized here completely. The people of Portland were found trying samples of chocolates and crispy treats as well. Also, casual chats were initiated by people with vendors. These were mostly about growing marijuana in homes and about the methodology of extraction of cannabis oil in a safe manner. The convention should pave the way for other bigger festivals and conventions as well. (Source: MMJ Observer – 3/31/2015)
9. Legalizing Hemp Production & Labor Update - Now that recreational marijuana has been legalized within the state growing industrial hemp as a profitable agriculture product is getting closer to being realized. In January the Senate passed SB 5012, a measure that recognizes hemp as an agricultural crop, and the House Commerce and Labor Committee recently approved legislation to regulate hemp, a federally controlled substance. Legislators and hemp production advocates agree on the need for simple state regulations to prevent cross-pollination with marijuana fields. The bill would require WSU to study the feasibility of hemp production and marketing in the state, and report findings and recommendations to the Legislature by January 14, 2016.(Source: AGInfo.net – 3/31/2015)
10. UPDATE: Idaho House Committee Reverses Votes for Cannabis Oil Bill, Giving Measure Renewed Life - In a stunning reversal, the House State Affairs Committee voted 12-4 on Thursday, April 2 to approve a bill that would provide a legal defense for the use of non-psychotropic cannabidiol oil to treat intractable epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Senate Bill 1146aa was passed by the Senate on March 24 but stalled in the House State Affairs Committee on an 8-8 vote March 30. In a surprising move, the committee decided to revisit the legislation April 2, when several lawmakers switched their votes. (Source: Boise Weekly – 4/2/2015)
11. Fate of NM industrial hemp bill rests with governor - A bill that would legalize the farming of hemp in New Mexico and encourage the study of its use as an industrial product could become state law if Gov. Susana Martinez signs it, but politics may get in the way, according to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican. New Mexico legislators this month overwhelmingly approved state Sen. Cisco McSorley's bill to import industrial hemp seeds and allow research of the plant at New Mexico State University.(Source: BizJournals – 3/30/2015)
12. History of Hemp - Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) is arguably a victim of the biggest misconceptions. The "innocent hero", as opposed to it's "evil cousin", is one of the most underutilized crops in the world only due to unfortunate matters such as misplaced ideologies and societal mindsets. The day the commercial production and implementation of hemp commences, we strongly feel these problems will be negated. Be it Spain, Argentina, North America, Europe, Russia- hemp has proliferated through the lengths and breadths of these countries rapidly. Paper, notes, food, fibre, plastic and pharmaceuticals are among the various industries where hemp has has a key or a high potential role to play. In fact, one could argue that they are rooted in hemp. The very first currencies, scripts, paper mills, textile factories, food products, pharma remedies and holy books discovered thanks to Hemp. So sit back, and let's go back in time to get acquainted with the history of this timid yet sturdy cash crop that is Industrial Hemp… (Source: Bombay Hemp Co)
13. Senate Bill Would Utilize Hemp Measures in Farm Bill - The 2014 federal Farm Bill authorizes the development of pilot projects around what's called industrial hemp. The Missouri Senate is working on a bill that would take advantage of that federal legislation. The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Brian Munzlinger, supports the measure. (Source:CentralMoInfo.com – 3/31/2015)
14. CWAO: Balkan Cannabidiol Oil Benefits U.S. While Canada Hemp Products Remain Prohibited - Many U.S. states are changing laws on cannabis products like cannabidiol oil extract, used to treat epilepsy patients, while Canada still only allows licensed marijuana growers to sell dried crop, and be that as it may, prohibit tinctures, edibles, and oils. In spite of the health risks involved with smoking cannabis opposed to alternative preparations of medicinal and industrial cannabis products there are civic organizations as Community Works Ontario that have continued to stress the importance of industrial hemp to Canadian legislators, in hopes that they will consider more suitable regulations that permit use of CBD oil, with necessary restrictions in tact to prevent product abusers from misusing the cannabis oil for illicit purposes. On Friday, international news broke about a co-operative venture started two years ago between Congressional Committee on Eurasian Affairs, Albanian Parliament, and affiliated international organizations to support production and exportation of cannabis goods from Albania to United States in efforts to decrease illegal drug trafficking and enhance the economy in Albania, as reported by an Albanian government website. (Source: CSR News – 4/4/2015)
15. Sacramento Drawing Road Map To Legal Marijuana - Thursday, California took a Key step toward legalizing the Recreational use of Marijuana when experts led by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom showed a policy road map that includes the Key issues of taxes, driving under the influence and children's accessibility. "This is not as Black and White as some people think. And we have the time now to ask and answer these questions," Mr. Newsom said. "We have an enormous challenge of implementing this" should it become law. Nearly 1.5 yrs after it launched, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy led by Mr. Newsom, the ACLU, and leading academics, law enforcement officials and activists released a "progress report" on Thursday outlining what should be addressed in any legalization ballot measures going before state voters in Y 2016. The commission will not take a position on whether Marijuana should be legalized, and a pro-legalization stance is not required for membership, even though its most prominent member, Mr. Newsom, is one of the highest-ranking state officials in the nation to support Marijuana legalization. (Source: Live Trading News – 4/4/2015)
16. Tommy Chong, Local and State Elected Officials to Speak at 44th Hash Bash - Comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician Tommy Chong is headlining the 44th Annual Hash Bash Rally in downtown Ann Arbor April 4th. The 76 year old Chong will address the crowd of thousands at the annual speak out and smoke down protest on the University of Michigan's campus. Five sitting elected officials–including the Saginaw County Sheriff–national experts in marijuana reform, patients, cancer survivors, veterans and advocates from across the state are also slated to speak at our nation's longest running marijuana legalization rally. Representatives from the newly formed Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee (MI Legalize 2016) will address the crowd. (Source: The Ann Arbor Independent – 4/5/2015)
ABOUT HEMP, INC.'s DECORTICATION PLANT IN NORTH CAROLINA
The new LED lighting has arrived at the decortication facility. Installation is scheduled to begin today and is expected to be completed by the end of the week. The Temafa Engineers are on schedule to arrive on site at the end of the month to begin the reassembly of Hemp, Inc.'s decortication line. See Hemp, Inc.'s previous press release on Breaking News for the video updates thus far on the decortication plant.
Hemp, Inc.'s automated Temafa decortication line, which can be used to process raw hemp and Kenaf for the American farmers, is the only one of its magnitude in North America. The highly coveted decortication line is currently the only commercial, large-scale machine of its kind in North America. According to Perlowin, it would take at least 2 years, minimum, to duplicate the line. Hemp, Inc. and its whole team is committed to the American farmers and plans to continue spearheading a new clean, green American Agricultural and Industrial Revolution based on hemp and hemp products. The decortication and milling plant, is housed in a 70,000 square-foot warehouse (with a 6-inch cement foundation and a refrigerated section).
HEMP, INC.'s TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP) seeks to benefit many constituencies from a "Cultural Creative" perspective thereby not exploiting or endangering any group. CEO of Hemp, Inc. (OTC:HEMP), Bruce Perlowin, is positioning the company as a leader in the industrial hemp industry, with a social and environmental mission at its core. Thus, the publicly-traded company believes in "upstreaming" of a portion of profit from the marketing of their finished hemp goods back to its originator, in which most cases will one day be the American farmer, cultivating natural, sustainable products as an interwoven piece of nature. By Hemp, Inc. focusing on comprehensive investment results—that is, with respect to performance along the interrelated dimensions of people, planet, and profits—our triple bottom line approach can be an important tool to support sustainability goals.
SAFE HARBOR ACT
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