Hemp Food Firm is First to Comply with DEA Rule on THC

ARCHIVED 2002–2016: Originally distributed via the eWire press wire service. Preserved as historical record.

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE |

Conservation & Wildlife

Corporate Responsibility

Science & Technology

Syndication Partners

**************************************************************************

E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE

**************************************************************************

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hemp Food Firm is First to Comply with DEA Rule on THC

CALIFORNIA, SANTA ROSA, Feb. 26 -/E-Wire/-- HempNut Inc. announced that effective today, it believes it is the only DEA-compliant hempseed food and importing company in the United States.

Pursuant to a new Drug Enforcement Administration regulation effective Feb. 7, THC is banned in hempseed products for human consumption. Since 1994 HempNut foods have contained no THC, in anticipation of this move by DEA, the company said today.

DEA gave hempseed producers and importers 14 months to comply. "The DEA rule is reasonable, expected, and was issued with surprising sensitivity to the hemp food consumer," said Richard Rose, founder and president of HempNut Inc. "But it is merely a clarification of the policy which HempNut, Inc., DEA, and U.S. Customs have operated on for years; namely, that hempseed products may not contain THC. Other industries have government regulations they must comply with, and this is no different," said Rose.

Recently, DEA spokesman Will Glaspy said "I think there is a lot of misinformation out there, that we are trying to ban all hemp products. That is not the case. I think a lot of people have overreacted to this." HempNut, Inc. made zero-THC products a priority because of customer and quality concerns.

"For the first time ever DEA officially made non-food hemp products legal even if they contain THC, such as body care, clothes, and paper; and made hemp foods legal as long as they do not contain THC. This is a big change in policy for them, a legitimization of hemp's legal status, and a very positive step forward. Now we can continue to import hemp products without the fear of legal issues," said Rose, who is also founder and director of the Hemp Food Association (http://www.hempfood.com), and is the world's most experienced hempseed food producer. With 22 years in the natural foods industry, and 8 years in hempseed foods, Rose has long been an advocate for improving technology to remove THC adhering to the outside of hempseed. He is the author of "The HempNut Health and Cookbook."

Hempseed has been used continually as a human food around the world for at least 5,000 years, and is mankind's oldest food crop. It's one of the most nutritious foods, with a significant amount of omega-3 essential fatty acid, which many medical journals have recently reported helpful for a variety of diseases. Hempseed is higher in protein than meat and fish, and is very high quality, comparable to egg white. Hempseed tastes like sunflower seed, and can be used in almost any recipe. HempNut, Inc. is a pioneer in the development and use of hempseed with the shell removed, which makes the inside kernel more easily edible. Many natural food producers use its zero-THC hempseed, including Nature's Path, French Meadow Bakery, Rainier Bakery, Govinda's, and Humboldt Hemp Foods, and it is sold by United Natural Foods, Tree of Life, Whole Foods Market, and Wild Oats, among others.

HempNut, Inc. (http://www.THEhempnut.com) produces organic blue corn chips, a whole food bar, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter, omega-3 nutritional oil, shelled hempseed, lip balm, and a cheese alternative and the Hempeh(r) veggie burger, the first products introduced in 1994. All contain significant amounts of omega-3, some as much as 1,000 mg per serving. Many are certified organic and kosher. HempNut products are available in natural food and other stores throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. The company is the largest e-tailer of hempseed foods through its online store, is a member of Organic Trade Association, California Certified Organic Farmers, Quality Assurance International, Kof-K Kashruth Kosher Supervision, Business for Social Responsibility, Institute of Food Technologists, and the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce.

Visit http://www.thehempnut.com or http://www.hempfood.com for more information. The firm's online store is at http://www.store.yahoo.com/hempnut.

http://www.thehempnut.com

http://www.store.yahoo.com/hempnut

**************************************************************************

To Transmit Your News Over E-Wire, visit http://www.ewire.com or

call 1-[REDACTED-PHONE]. E-Wire Is Broadcast To Millions Of Readers Worldwide

**************************************************************************