<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hello visionaries,<BR><DIV>I recently came across a post called "Industrial Hemp on the Horizon" on the GreenOptions.com blog (on which I write a weekly column on sustainable art and design). I thought it may interest others in Moscow. As a long-time supporter of the legalization of industrial hemp and a veteran of many Hemp Fests (in Moscow of course, as well as the big one in Seattle), I was very excited to hear that a bill is before Congress to re-legalize growing industrial hemp in our country. Here is an excerpt from the post: </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">"The United States is the </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.votehemp.com/PR/2-6-04_9thCir_grants.html"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">only industrialized nation</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;"> that bans farmers from growing industrial, non-psychoactive hemp, but a group of lawmakers in Washington are trying to change that.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">Last week, House Representative Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas who is also running for president in 2008, was joined by 9 Democratic co-sponsors in </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1171468412478.xml&catref=ag1001"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">introducing House Resolution 1009</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007. The </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.votehemp.com/PR/02-13-07_federal_bill.html"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">bill would</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;"> "remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp."</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;">And you can read the entire article here: </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="text-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.329412) 1px -1px;"><A href="http://www.greenoptions.com/blog/2007/02/20/industrial_hemp_on_the_horizon">http://www.greenoptions.com/blog/2007/02/20/industrial_hemp_on_the_horizon</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">It's about time that we re-legalized this very versatile, useful, and environmentally-friendly plant, which needs no pesticides to grow, provides a complete source of protein (hemp seeds), and can be used to make anything from paper to cloth to plywood to bio-fuel. </DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Also, Moscow's 2007 Hemp Fest is scheduled for Saturday, April 21. I will be on the planning committee again this year, and once again designing the t-shirts and posters (hopefully we have more t-shirts this year so they won't sell out quite so fast!) - there are some great bands lined up and it should be another great event! Arlene at Tye Dye Everything is heading up the planning, so if you're interested in volunteering or need any more information, I encourage you to get in touch with her.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Just thought we could use some good news around here... :)</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">peace!</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">~megan</DIV></BODY></HTML>