April 4, 2002 -- Lawyers representing the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) will
argue before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco April 9, 2002, that the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration's (DEA) attempt to ban hemp
foods containing trace amounts of THC misinterprets the Controlled Substances Act and violates
the Administrative Procedures Act.

"The food use of industrial hemp is strictly an issue of
nutrition. Hemp seeds are harvested from non-psychoactive hemp
plants cultivated under strict regulatory regimes in the EU and
Canada and are an exceptional source of protein, omega-3
and omega-6 essential fatty acids," says David Bronner,
chair of the HIA's Food and Oil Committee. "Medical
marijuana is derived from the flowers of high-THC 'marijuana'
varieties of cannabis and cannot be obtained from
industrial hemp varieties. The only commonality is that both are
held hostage under the same out-of-control drug war."

The hemp food issue erupted on October 9, 2001, when the DEA
issued an interpretive rule purporting to make hemp foods
containing traces of naturally occurring THC (the active ingredient in marijuana)
immediately illegal under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of
1970. On March 7, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the HIA's Motion to Stay DEA's
rule, effectively blocking DEA's rule until the court makes a final
decision.

The HIA has reassured retailers that hemp food products, which include pretzels, tortilla chips, energy bars, waffles,
bread, salad dressing, cereal, cooking oil, ice cream and non-dairy milk substitutes, should remain on the shelves