HemperFi

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that a Lakota familiy living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation did indeed need a permit from the DEA to grow industrial hemp. The Court's reasoning falls along the common line of reasoning that hemp is not distinguished from marijuana in the US Code, and therefore it is one and the same...and therefore, the DEA must grant a permit to harvest or farm hemp.

What's unfortunate in this ruling is that the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals had one very supportive judge...namely, Judge Beam. As previously reported in HemperFi, Judge Beam really let the DEA have it in a previous statement (regarding this case) calling the ban to grow hemp "assinine". This group of judges was probably hemp farming's best best in the U.S.

Althought the ruling was not in favor of the American Indians, it should be noted that the court certainly echoed a sympathetic tone. Per the rulling:

"We are not unmindful of the challenges faced by members of the Tribe to engage in sustainable farming on federal trust lands. It may be that the growing of hemp for industrial uses is the most viable agricultural commodity for that region. And we do not doubt that there are a countless number of beneficial products which utilize hemp in some fashion...But these are policy arguments better suited for the congressional hearing room than the courtroom."

The Pine Ridge Reservation is host to the poorest county in all of the United States. Given that there's little to lose, I suspect hat the Lakota Indians will continue their hemp protest next growing season.