Jay Selthofner is running for Wisconsin State Assembly in District 41 as an Independent candidate. He is passionate about improving our local economy and our environment, is a respected member of the local business community, and he understands very well the problems facing the farmers, businesses, families, and other citizens who make up the Wisconsin economy. He is a lifetime resident of Wisconsin, married for 10 years and has three children.
Jay is also a co-founder and Executive Director of Northern Wisconsin NORML, secretary for Wisconsin NORML, former board member for Madison NORML and the Wisconsin Ambassador for Americans for Safe Access. As well as volunteering his time and services to Is My Medicine Legal Yet? and other organizations, he organized the T.H.C. Tour (Talking Hemp and Cannabis) and traveled Wisconsin assisting the movement to seek passage of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act.
Members of the US Senate Appropriations Committee voted 16 to 14 late last week in favor of an amendment to allow state-compliant marijuana businesses to engage in relationships with financial institutions.
Sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D) of Oregon and Patty Murray (D) of Washington, the amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill prohibits the US Treasury Department from using federal funds to take punitive actions against banks that provide services to marijuana-related businesses that are operating legally under state laws.
The vote marks the first time that members of the US Congress have decided in favor of amending federal law to permit marijuana-related business access to banks and other financial institutions.
Commenting on the vote, NORML’s Political Director Danielle Keane said: “No industry can operate safely, transparently or effectively without access to banks or other financial institutions. It is time for Congress to change federal policy so that this growing number of state-compliant businesses, and their consumers, may operate in a manner that is similar to other legal commercial entities.”
Related legislation, The Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act of 2015, is also pending before lawmakers in the United States House and Senate.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Danielle Keane, NORML Political Director, at: danielle@norml.org.
With the high cost of gasoline and other petroleum based products, should we expect any less from our healthcare? What are the true costs when our item is scanned or energy paid for? Why did we not move towards energy sustainability or independence when we had the chance and surplus budgets?
Everyone has many questions and only a few have sensible answers.
Industrial hemp, which grows in infertile soils, is attractive as a potential source of sustainable diesel fuel.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that the fiber crop Cannabis sativa, known as industrial hemp, has properties that make it viable and even attractive as a raw material, or feedstock, for producing biodiesel – sustainable diesel fuel made from renewable plant sources.
“For sustainable fuels, often it comes down to a question of food versus fuel,” says Parnas, noting that major current biodiesel plants include food crops such as soybeans, olives, peanuts, and rapeseed. “It’s equally important to make fuel from plants that are not food, but also won’t need the high-quality land.”
If you mix in the addition to high unemployment, higher government waste and even higher profits for big business on the foreign territory most of us consider “Wall Street”, well, that just seems to be making people upset. Well growing Industrial Hemp for fiber may have a desirable by product, gas. The article goes on to say:
“If someone is already growing hemp, they might be able to produce enough fuel to power their whole farm with the oil from the seeds they produce,” he said. “The fact that a hemp industry already exists means that a hemp biodiesel industry would need little additional investment.“
Well, that is in countries other than the United States of America, land of the free and home of the foreign oil dependent. As the alternative fuel industry fires up, our country is left at a disadvantage before the game even gets started. The article goes on to rub more facts in our face:
The hemp biodiesel showed a high efficiency of conversion – 97 percent of the hemp oil was converted to biodiesel – and it passed all the laboratory’s tests, even showing properties that suggest it could be used at lower temperatures than any biodiesel currently on the market.
What energy is it going to take to bring the people back to politics and ultimately restore order to a broken two party system. One can only assume it will take the ideas that can ignite a variety of folks for a large movement. To light a fire under someone and motivate them to take action seems to take a personal touch. The article reminds us again that The United States is not growing industrial hemp, for any reason.
Although growing hemp is not legal in the U.S., Parnas hopes that the team’s results will help to spur hemp biodiesel production in other parts of the world. UConn holds a patent on a biodiesel reactor system that could be customized to make biodiesel from a range of sustainable inputs, hemp included…
… are preparing to build a pilot biodiesel production facility using a two-year, $1.8 million grant from the Department of Energy.
A green future?
I thought it a very personal touch that they not only remind us again about not being able to touch the hemp cannabis plant in the USA. Although based in the USA, the Connecticut based study adds insult to injury as their work helps produce jobs elsewhere. Maybe this is the fuel need to settle the smoke and mirrors game we have come to know as “war on marijuana”.
Every time you go to the gas station and fill up your automobile or flip on a light switch, ask your self if there could be a better way.
To read the entire October 7th article on Environmental Protection, the following link has been provided for your convenience.
As with many other commercial uses of hemp, Parnas’s process would use the Sativa variety, which unlike its cousin the cannabis plant is not psychoactive. Hemp fibre is also being used as a core material in some car body designs.
Start Date: Mar 13, 2012 10:00 AM End Date: Mar 13, 2012 02:00 PM
Location: Streets of East Mason St & S Webster Ave.
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301
We are hosting a rally to let the public know that this is still an issue that people care about and get people to step up and be active.
We are going to have Signature forms free for anybody to sign and are also able to turn them in for you if you would like.
We are also going to have Activism Kits that are being givin away for $5-10 donations.
We are also going to have a few extra signs and some markers for you to make your own signs if you wish (you are going to have to supply the card/poster board) and are encouraging anyone and everyone to join us.
I am asking that everybody keeps clean and doesn’t carry ANYTHING on them that could cause a problem. No paraphernalia please.
FYI this is a PEACEFUL rally and you are going to get some people who like to mouth off and try to belittle you, don’t even respond to them.
The awareness and conversations continue on the PBS World News program Frontline. The airing is scheduled for July 26th.
On Wednesday June 29th, 2011 the Justice Department issued a shot across the bow to states wrestling with how to regulate the growing and distribution of medical marijuana. Not only are these actions still illegal under federal law, but the Justice Department can also prosecute “those who knowingly facilitate such activities,” including state and local officials.
In The Pot Republic, a joint investigation with the Center for Investigative Reporting airing July 26, we’ll look at how we got to this point. Today more than a third of all states are experimenting with some form of legalization and decriminalization of marijuana, with several California counties attempting to openly regulate pot production. The city of Oakland, Calif. went so far as to propose licensing four massive indoor pot-growing facilities — each the size of two football fields.
But can the federal government roll back the market that medical marijuana laws have opened up? Stay tuned…
FRONTLINE One Sheriff’s Radical Experiment
An innovative – and controversial – plan to license pot growers, from “The Pot Republic”
Program: FRONTLINE
Episode: One Sheriff’s Radical Experiment
An inside look at a California sheriff’s innovative — and controversial — program to license medical marijuana growers. From “The Pot Republic,” airing July 26, 2011.
Jessica read the minutes from last meeting and they were approved.
Rich read the treasurer’s report provided by Jay, who is unable to attend. He provided Jessica with a copy of the treasurer’s report.
Rich suggested that for those who are farther away, they could host a hangout at their house or other location, and invite some friends over to join the meeting online
Rich read the Madison Harvest Fest report. We set up a 10×20 tent at Harvest Fest on Oct. 6-7 and we were able to have room for all of the NORML chapters under one tent. The Texas NORML / Chronic Candy guy is going to send us some stuff also. We gave him a Northern WI NORML shirt. We were also given some hemp materials that will be displayed at our Answers to Energy Expo booth.
Unfinished business: there were new memberships gathered at harvest fest, but we really need people to become more active. We need people to put on presentations, we need board members, we need people to take initiatives on projects and help us with field activism.
Fundraising ideas: Rich displayed books, hemp products and other information at Harvest Fest. Several people wanted to purchase the books but they are for display only. He encouraged those people to ask their library to order the books to get them into the system. He also discussed possibly having a few books on hand to sell for events.
Change for Change: rich is going to make boxes unless someone has a better idea.
New Business:
October is breast cancer awareness month. Breasticle/Testicle Festival in Oshkosh on Wed Oct 24 from 6-8pm at Albee Hall at UWO. Rich thinks that we should go and hand out materials regarding cannabis and cancer. Phoenix Tears, etc.
Oct. 31 is halloween – why not carve a NORML or cannabis themed pumpkin and take a picture and upload it to facebook. Tag Northern WI NORML and Kottonmouth Kings in your pumpkin pics!
Haunted House: we may do a group field trip to a haunted house: if you can get a group of 25 together, there is a 25% discount. There is also a discount if you can get at least 8 together. Nox is the person to discuss this with.
The Cash Hyde foundation has requested help. Any donations would be appreciated. www.cashhydefoundation.com
Hemp Awareness Month is coming up in March – ideas, suggestions, etc are welcome.
Handout material creation – if you are good at creating graphics and other presentation materials, please contact Rich. We need assistance with creating some professional looking materials.
other news: large cannabis grow discovered in Chicago by police helicopters in Pembroke Township. $7M – 2 men charged.
We discussed that for upcoming events such as the answers to energy expo, we need volunteers and supporters to show up in very nice looking clothes. No tie dye, pot necklaces, etc. It’s a completely different crowd and we need to take a different approach.
Rich adjourned the meeting at 6:10pm. Nox seconded that. The meeting was adjourned.
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