Pot legalization efforts forge ahead in key states
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Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use are gaining momentum in Washington state and Colorado, despite fierce opposition from the federal government and a decades-long cultural battle over America’s most commonly used illicit drug.
Officials in Washington state on Friday said an initiative to legalize pot has enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in November. In Colorado, officials are likely this week to make a similar determination about an initiative there.
Supporters are prepared to possibly spend millions of dollars ahead of the November ballot, when they hope a strong voter turnout, particularly among youth, for the U.S. presidential election will aid their cause.
“Whether it’s make or break depends on what public opinion does after 2012, but in terms of voter turnout this is the best year to do it,” said Alison Holcomb, director of New Approach Washington, the initiative’s sponsor.
While 16 states, including Washington and Colorado, along with the nation’s capital, now allow marijuana use for medical purposes, cannabis remains an illegal narcotic under U.S. law – and public opinion is sharply divided on the merits of full legalization.
California voters turned back a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2010, in part because of concerns about how production and sale of the drug would be regulated.
Since then, the U.S. Department of Justice has cracked down on medical cannabis operations in California, Washington state and elsewhere, raiding dispensaries and growing operations and threatening landlords with prosecution.
Read on at Reuters here
Hemp News Editor @ February 1, 2012
Hemp company harvests new cash
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Canada: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils has landed another round of venture-capital funding to help finance growth and strengthen its supply chain. This new funding will help spur growth for Manitoba Harvest!
No totals were disclosed in the latest round of financing from Calgary-based Avrio Ventures and White Road Investments from Emeryville, Calif., but Manitoba Harvest CEO Mike Fata said it’s a multimillion-dollar investment.
“This investment is to help fuel our growth,” he said. “We have been growing by leaps and bounds in Canada and the U.S.”
The company has been averaging 40 to 50 per cent annual growth and Fata said sales in the first five weeks of its current fiscal year have doubled last year’s.
Founded in 1998, the company has a blossoming portfolio of products, from hemp beverages and hemp protein to powders, oil, butter and Hemp Hearts.
It’s also expanding its distribution channel.
Before, Manitoba Harvest products were predominantly found in natural-foods stores. But now they’re in Safeway and other grocery stores — in the general produce section at that, not just the health-foods section — as well as more than 60 Costco stores in Canada.
While there is a general complaint about the lack of growth and venture capital available for Manitoba companies, Manitoba Harvest has been amazingly successful in that regard.
It is the third round of investment from Avrio, a venture-capital firm that specializes in industrial bio-products, nutraceutical ingredients and food-technology companies. White Road becomes its first U.S. investment.
“It speaks to our sound business plan and the kind of opportunities for our type of products in the industry today,” said Fata.
Consistently ranked as one of the 200 fastest-growing companies in the country by Profit Magazine, Fata said Manitoba Harvest may top the $20 million mark in sales this year.
Dave Shambrock, executive director of the Manitoba Food Processors Association, said Manitoba Harvest is in a great position with consumers who are demanding much more transparency about what they are consuming and where it’s coming from.
“Not so many years ago, Mike Fata started with an idea. He’s a global player now in the health-food world,” Shambrock said. “It’s a great Manitoba success story.”
With more than 50 employees, the company invested $1 million in plant and equipment upgrades last year and Fata said the company will be investing another $1 million this year.
martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 11, 2012
Hemp News Editor @ January 20, 2012
SOPA and PIPA need to be stopped
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Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.
Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.
Under the current wording of the measures, the Attorney General would have the power to order ISPs to block access to foreign-based sites suspected of trafficking in pirated and counterfeit goods; order search engines to delist the sites from their indexes; ban advertising on suspected sites; and block payment services from processing transactions for accused sites. If the same standards were applied to U.S.-based sites, Hemp.com, Wikipedia, Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger, Google and Wired could all find themselves blocked.
The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.
Hemp News Editor @ January 18, 2012
