Court Denies Rehearing on Hemp Food Decision

Court Denies Rehearing on Hemp Food Decision

SAN FRANCISCOThe U.S. Court ofAppeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the Drug Enforcement Administrations(DEA) petition for an En Banc rehearing. The courts June 28, 2004 decisiongives the Bush administration until Sept. 26 to appeal.

The judgment comes after a long court battle between the HempIndustries Association (HIA) and the DEA to keep hemp foods legal. HIA won thecase, with a unanimous vote on Feb. 6, 2004.

The ruling permanently protects sales of hemp foods in theUnited States should the Bush administration not appeal by the Sept. 26deadline.

Manufacturers of healthy foods containing omega-3 rich hempnut and oil are confident that the administration cannot win an appeal to theSupreme Court, said David Bronner, chair of the HIAs Food and OilCommittee and president of Alpsnack/Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps, in a statement.The Court reasonably viewed as insignificant and irrelevant harmless traceamounts of THC in hemp seed, just like harmless trace amounts of opiates inpoppy seeds.