Rose Sees Red, Hemp food is legal, no matter what activists said.. High Times (2001), story and photo by Dan Skye.
Although there have been concerns expressed by hempseed companies and consumers about the DEA’s enforcement of the ban on THC in edible hemp products, some businesspeople are shocked at the uproar. “Hemp foods are legal in the USA,” insists Richard Rose. “But you wouldn’t know that from the misinformation spread in the past few months.”
Rose is President of HempNut– organic shelled hempseed– and a pioneer in the hemp food industry, with over 20 years of marketing success. “The DEA has made it very clear that this is only a ban on THC in hempseed foods, not a ban on hempseed foods.”
He adds: “Over the past few years, hundreds of people have failed drug tests and wrongly blamed hempseed products, hoping to be excused. While one can understand such desperation to avoid jail or losing a job, the drug testing industry became quite alarmed at what they termed the “drug test interference” defense raised by these folks and their lawyers. So the DEA responded by banning THC in hempseed products, something the hempseed companies have expected for years and have responded to accordingly.
This is merely a clarification and confirmation of the basis under which the DEA, US Customs and all responsible hempseed importers have already been operating for some time, namely, that hempseed products may not contain THC.” The flap has severely affected his distribution.
“Responsible people in the industry don’t know what all the fuss is about,” he says with disgust. “Unreasonable fear about THC is holding back the hempseed industry’s very ability to be sustainable and viable. The activists have accomplished what the DEA has never been able to accomplish– limiting the distribution of hemp.”
