Hemp seed: Legality? Specimen garden

Hi everyone!

I read through the FAQ and didn't see anything mentioned, so...

What is the legal status of hemp seed in the US? If it's illegal, is it one of those "technically illegal, but..." things, or is it something that's actively prosecuted? Does DG have a policy for seeds from regulated plants like this?

I just think it'd be neat to grow a hemp plant (ideally an industrial variety with very little THC) as part of my collection for no other reason than its got such a long history of human cultivation. Would growing a specimen like this just be asking for trouble? Anyone have any experience with this? How would I find seeds?

Don't know exactly what you mean by 'hemp' seed. Can you give me the botanical name.
A lot of these seeds can be bought in the Netherlands.

Cannabis is illegal in any shape or form in the US. The Pot Police are usually very active in college towns. It's really not worth the risk even if you want it as a specimen plant. You definitely do NOT want to be sending or receiving hemp seed thru the mail because if the Pot Pups pick up the scent you will have the law knocking on your doorstep.

Before doing anything, find out the laws in your state for possession.

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This message was edited Jul 10, 2010 6:56 PM

Don't do it. It's not worth it. Doesn't really matter what the laws are. They can & will do what they want.

ants

ditto ants. The police do anything they want to nowadays. Not worth it. Have you looked in to growing castor beans? Ok I admit I don't know a hemp send from a rock lol, but I have heard that castors make very neat foliage, large and showy ect. I think there is even a dark color purple kind.

I live right nextdoor to the local cop shop. several sherrif's deputies and city police officers live in the same apartment complex as i do. i grow Kenaf hibiscus and the cops are impressed with how tall they grow - - mine are as tall as 12 ft.

two of those who said they liked the blooms, i gave 'em small plants to put in their own gardens.

ya jess needs t'know howta play'em, s'all.

I love Kenaf Hibiscus.. mine grew really tall last summer..
You will risk having the embarrassment of arrest for cultivating and growing and possession if your state is anything like my state.. I agree that specimen plants are fun to grow, but not worth the record and hassle if they are illegal. ;)

I see a few plants from time to time....most people wont even realize what you've got growing there. Thoses that I know of....grow it as a wild bird food. yeah I know...your thinking ~ HA RIGHT! But serious.....we found it written years ago in... A Complete Guide to Bird Feeding by John V. Dennis who quoted...hemp seed has all of the virtues of sunflower seed and far less of the seed was taken up by hulls. They did keep it on the market for a short time but this seed had to undergo parching...which lessened their attractiveness to birds. At the time that Mr. Dennis wrote his book.....parched seed was still being sold legally, but was not know to be readily available.

Caution....if you grow it ...you can be arrested for manufacturing and maintaining a drug house....even if you test negative for THC.
There are small exceptions....in Cali, if you want to find them and move there.

Shame too.....love all ferny looking plants.

so some of the above are legal for medicinal purposes? or legal for anyone?

The hemp grown for fiber is usually a different plant than the hemp grown for "entertainment". Several of my friends who spin their own fiber grow hemp, cotton, indigo, woad. None have had any trouble. Not all hemp has the illegal active ingredient. Why not check with a nearby botany department of a university or cooperative extension about the regulations in your town?

Kenaf Hibiscus has varieties with differently shaped leaves that don't look like pot. That would be less likely to cause trouble.

Legal or not, I would avoid using the word "cannabinus" on any plant label. The local police may not care, but someone in the neighborhood may steal your plant!

History lesson on Hemp!
http://www.hempmuseum.org/ROOMS/ARM%20HISTORY.HTM

I see you are in MA though, and Ma just passed a law that up to 1 oz for personal use is a $100 fine and not considered a felony. It's like a traffic ticket now! So I don't think you'd have any problems growing it.... getting seeds is another thing though.

How would one know if the said seeds were mixed with other seed if you even know what they look like?

Possession of an oz. is not the same thing as growing it. If you are growing it, it is considered manufacturing.

ants

Not true they consider up to 2 mature plants as the equivalent to possessing an ounce... I looked it up. So as long as you only keep two mature plants you are all set : ) I am all set with growing the stuff but I really don't think hemp should be illegal, it's not like you can smoke it....

eh? LOL

Yup someone asked so I looked it up : ) We are talking about hemp not marijuana! Hemp was used as a fiber to make cord and it is still used in hair products and to make clothes and many other useful ways...
it is illegal is because they can't tell it apart from marijuana without testing it's thc levels, so imagine if they had to try and go around testing thc in plants to know if you are commiting a crime, just wouldn't work.

I know a lot of people are not aware of all it's uses so I want to show some examples...
Here is a Salon only product that I am very familar with, that is made from hemp http://www.alternahaircare.com/
Here is one example of a store that carries hemp clothing http://store.hempest.com/catalog/
Some people eat the seeds and I guess they are very healthy http://www.nutsonline.com/cookingbaking/seeds/hemp/in-shell.html?utm_source=googlebase
If you look around you'd be surprised at all the uses for hemp.
I also found somewhere that they suspect the original reason for it being made illegal was because of the rope industry... I believe I read that in one of the links somebody posted.

My daughter gave me some Hem Hair products, it worked real well. Interesting links.

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insightfully yours . . .

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You might check with local bird supply stores, stores that cater to birds, not pet stores. Here some will carry specific seed in bulk and hemp seed is one of the seeds you can find.

I've seen similar discussions regarding Payote which is actually an endangered species and sought after by universities and the like for specimen and protection.

Not to burst anyones bubble here, but there is no such thing as "Hemp" according to the federal government who has ultimate oversight through the DEA. The Statutory Definition of "Marijuana" (which we all know is federally illegal) is, (see 21 U.S.C. § 802(16)):
all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., --->whether growing or not

I know someone who had their apartment searched on a warrent signed by a judge on the word of the leader of the drug task force. They used the persons tomato plant growing on the porch of their apartment as the probable cause to search the apartment. A tomato plant taken by the brother of the leader of the drug task force. During the search they did find 2 marijuana plants growing in a closet. The did not arrest the person, but he's been served with a warrant to appear in court on charges of growing marijuana.

My bird seed mix has the seed in it, call it what you like. And if you try it on google shopping, you'll see it for sale baby.

Yea, because for sale on google shopping or ebay = legal. Didn't someone try to sell a kidney on there a few years back?

The plant that has sparked the most controversy on this is Peyote, which is actually pretty endangered. I think university researchers and hort's have to get a special license to grow or study it. If you poke around on the web re: Peyote, a lot of people are growing that too as an interesting ornamental, but at their own peril, I think. Remember, if they want to throw the book at you, any property involved (car, boat, greenhouse, home) may be subject to forfeiture.

Most likely the 'Hemp' in bird seed has been treated to prevent sprouting.

You do realize hemp is a real product made from cannabis plants and that there is more than one species of cannabis...that's rhetorical, not a real question BTW. Saying there's no such thing just makes you sound silly.

Oh, I just feel like getting you all going today...

hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, hemp seed, ahhhhhhhhhhh

(commence sarcasm) What??? No way! There are products made from this thing you call hemp???? (end sarcasm) It's all grown in Canada or europe, anyway.

You have, again, missed the point, which is that the DEA says all Cannabis plants = Marijuana = illegal. Thus, if law enforcement finds any growing or viable plant material, you can go to jail. If you want to take that risk, feel free.

Wikipedia: "Hemp is not legal to grow in the U.S. under Federal law because of its relation to marijuana, and any imported hemp products must meet a zero tolerance level. It is considered a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (P.L. 91-513; 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.). Some states have defied Federal law and made the cultivation of industrial hemp legal. These states — North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, West Virginia, and Vermont — have not yet begun to grow hemp because of resistance from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration."



This message was edited Sep 2, 2010 12:40 PM

No, you're missing the point. It's downright ridiculous to see you getting all hot and bothered when not a soul on here is even remotely interested in growing pot!

.....shakes head

azreno is right . . .

heh heh, Lazlo you won't do, as my Granny used to say affectionately! It won't be long before it will be legal nationwide again and we can all grow it as we wish, beginning with California in November....

All this talk about growing Hemp is giving me the munchies ;)

This is an interesting thread.
My Great Uncle grew acres of hemp for the U.S. Army during WWII. That was a long time ago-before I was born, and that was a while back too. About 30 acres of the original farm is still in the family; mostly used for fishing and riding, etc. Even now an ocassional hemp volunteer appears in the hayfields in summer. That tends to get some attention until people realize it is just that.
A "government man" used to come around and take a survey in the 70's amd 80's to see how many plants were volunteering around the area and remove them, but I guess as the number of plants dwindled so did the government's interest. Now they use a rocky barren on the same property to burn Marijuana plants that are eradicated by DEA.
A large portion of Kentucky's largest cash crop "up in smoke" to quote Cheech and Chong.
I think I have landed in a time warp.
Alana

As with any legal highs .. It's good to check out erowid for information about the effects. Here is a link to Wild Dagga

http://www.erowid.org/plants/leonotis_leonurus/leonotis_leonurus.shtml