Ed Saukkooja, Executive
Director and chief lobbyist
Dave Olson, Director of communication & information,
Read bios ...
Hemplobby Mission
Hemplobby's mission is to
educate the general public, business community and government
about the commercial and environmental benefits of cannabis
sativa agriculture in Washington State in a professional
manner and to facilitate positive change based on this
accurate hemp information.
Hemplobby Goals
* Educate regional law enforcement as
to the difference between various strains of cannabis
to help streamline the process to trade with our neighbors
in Canada who are producing legal commercial, industrial
hemp.
* Work with both business leaders, farmers,
legislators and government agencies to develop comprehensive
scenarios to implement industrial hemp growth in Washington
for fiber, pulp, oil and food.
* Work with government and activists
to ensure reasonable, fair access to medical cannabis
in a manner that helps the patient, respects the community
and potentially sets a model for the rest of the nation
to follow.
* Educate and assist agricultural groups
in voicing their opinion about maintaining high grade
seed stock without compromising genetics and/or granting
de facto monopolies or non-reproducing strains.
* Educate government and citizens by
making available sample packs of hemp fibers and products
for a small donation (paper, cardstock, fiber, seed,
cloth, . . .)
* Produce & distribute a professional,
concise brochure explaining the facts about various
uses of cannabis sativa to public, government and business.
* Submit a work proposal and information
packet to key legislators and government agencies outlining
options for re-introducing industrial hemp agriculture.
This packet will contain a summary of all information
Washington State and the federal government commissioned
in the recent past as well as results and analysis of
Canadian crops in 1996-98.
* Create an on-line resource of lobbying
materials including; a comprehensive database of contact
information to government agencies and key legislators,
sample letters to editor and government officials for
citizens to use, list of things to do to support hemp,
contact info for businesses in Washington State involved
with industrial hemp.
* Grow HempLobby into an organization
which can be duplicated and emulated throughout the
country and world as need be.
Hemplobby Position Statements
-- Hemp is an agricultural and economic
issue and should be approached with the input of agronomists,
farmers, product manufacturers, market distributors
from a variety of industries and backgrounds.
-- Washington State's major industry
is logging and timber products (including paper pulp).
This industry is non-sustainable and has been fading
in recent years. Hemp is a natural to replace wood as
a raw fiber in many of the products now made with wood.
Further hemp growth is beneficial to re-claim and re-stabilize
lands which have been over-logged, eroded or over-fertilzed.
-- Washington State universities have
already conducted research on hemp growth and end product
manufacturing. This information should be exploited
to the benefit of the citizens of Washington. Along
with this information, Washington should consider the
laws of both the federal government, United Nations
and other regions of the world in deciding a plan of
action.
-- Washington State businesses have been
at the fore-front of hemp manufacturing and marketing
for several years and deserve the support of the government
to continue to increase Washington's tax base.
-- Hemp has grown successfully in Canada
as well as many other industrialized countries. Other
states are working towards re-introducing industrial
hemp growth and Washington should be a leader in progressing
this forward.
-- The citizens and legislators of Washington
tend to support the introduction of industrial hemp
but everyone must have the same verifiable information
in order to make fair, careful decisions and avoid the
hype and misinformation campaigns which surround hemp.
-- Many of the law-enforcement, public
perception and legal issues concerning hemp must continue
to be addressed in part but need a sense of closure
in order to move on.
-- Jobs are vital to any economy and
a way to add jobs and repair environmental damage deserves
consideration and careful thought.
Hemplobby Plans
-- Distribute high quality, accurate,
timely materials to educate government, business and
citizens in a factual professional manner.
-- Produce concise plans for reintroducing
industrial hemp growth into Washington's economy and
implement them into law.
-- Create a resource archive of lobbying
materials and quality information for the use of concerned
citizens and business.
-- Promote a new public image for
hemp by dispelling old myths and misinformation through
quality education.
Hemplobby Contact
P.O. Box 267
Pe Ell, WA. 98572
Phone: 800-963-4367
E.mail: ed (at) hemplobby.org - No Spam
