San Francisco, CA: The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has denied the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) petition to review its February ruling striking down federal regulations that sought to criminalize the possession and manufacture of edible hemp seed or oil products that contain trace amounts of THC.
The Bush Administration has until Sept. 26, 2004 to appeal to the Supreme Court, if it so chooses.
Earlier this year, the Ninth Circuit determined that the DEA’s hemp foods’ ban was improper because it classified non-psychoactive hemp as a Schedule I controlled substance without following the required legislative procedures. Appellants in the case, The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) which represents over 200 hemp companies in North America, had urged the court to invalidate the regulations because the agency lacks legal authority to regulate non-psychoactive hemp, and because minute amounts of THC in hemp products represent no threat to public safety.
For more information, please contact NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup at (202) 483-5500 or visit:
http://www.votehemp.com