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Tag: American politics

Hemp Water Wars Won: Montana Hemp Farmer Earns Right To IrrigateA water bird flies over the blue waters of Canyon Ferry Reservoir in Montana, seen from the rocky and grassy shore. The blue sky is partly cloudy.
Montana Hemp Farmer Kim Phillips won the right to irrigate her crops using water from the Canyon Ferry Reservoir. (Flickr / Mark Holloway, CC-BY license)
October 17, 2018
Kit
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Hemp Water Wars Won: Montana Hemp Farmer Earns Right To Irrigate

Posted in Hemp Magazine, and Journalism

In late May, Montana hemp farmer Kim Phillips finally learned that her long struggle with the federal government was over: She had won the right to irrigate her crops with federal water.

“They tried every which way to stop it, but I lucked out and would not back down,” Phillips said.

On May 31, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation informed Phillips that they would allow her access to federal water for use on her hemp fields. The news came just in time, as hemp growing season was right around the corner.

Read moreHemp Water Wars Won: Montana Hemp Farmer Earns Right To Irrigate
Don’t Just Vote: Embrace Your Rage & Fight Back (#GonzoNotes)
Lights held by Austin Overpass Light Brigade activists on a highway overpass spell out "Do More Than Vote." 2012. (Kit O'Connell, Creative Commons license)
October 13, 2018
Kit
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Don’t Just Vote: Embrace Your Rage & Fight Back (#GonzoNotes)

Posted in Gonzo Notes

Don’t just vote, get angry and fuck shit up.

The midterm election is quickly approaching and it promises to be a pivotal one. Understandably, many liberals are pouring their efforts into voter registration and voter drives with a fervor that hasn’t been seen in years. They’re hoping to channel all the popular anger at the state of things here in this hell nation back into the voting booth.

I want to tell you: don’t let them.

Read moreDon’t Just Vote: Embrace Your Rage & Fight Back (#GonzoNotes)
Farm Bill Hemp Amendment Blocks People With Felonies From Growing Hemp
A pair of hands in handcuffs reaches upwards. Some advocates say a hemp amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill would legalize hemp at a cost to vulnerable people. (Pixabay / KlausHausmann, public domain)
July 11, 2018
Kit
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Farm Bill Hemp Amendment Blocks People With Felonies From Growing Hemp

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

A hemp legalization amendment in the 2018 Farm Bill prevents anyone with a felony drug conviction from growing hemp.

Some existing hemp entrepreneurs could even find themselves shut out.

“I have a very successful business, I’ve been in this from the get go,” said Veronica Carpio, an experienced hemp producer and president of Grow Hemp Colorado, at a hemp conference in New York last month.

Despite her undeniable contributions to the industry, a past felony cannabis conviction endangers her continued involvement. “If this bill passes, I’m out.”

Read moreFarm Bill Hemp Amendment Blocks People With Felonies From Growing Hemp
2018 Farm Bill Could Fully Legalize Industrial Hemp In USA
The US Capitol building under a cloudy blue sky. An amendment to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill could help legalize hemp in the USA. (Pixabay / inverewe, public domain)
July 3, 2018
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2018 Farm Bill Could Fully Legalize Industrial Hemp In USA

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

An amendment to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill would fully legalize industrial hemp in the United States.

“This is a big day for hemp,” said Brian Furnish, a hemp grower from Kentucky and president of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.

The amendment legalizing hemp began as a bill proposed by Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate. The “Hemp Farming Act of 2018” fully legalizes industrial hemp and all products made from it including CBD oil. Under the new law, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other government agencies would no longer be able to interfere with hemp.

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Building Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa
A bearded activist in a winter coat with a fuzzy hood holds a feminist antifa flag showing black and purple flags. At the Stand Up To Racism March in London on March 17, 2018. (Flickr / Tim Dennell, CC-BY-NC license)
April 25, 2018
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Building Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa

Posted in Creative Commons, and Journalism

This is the third and final part of my interview with scott crow.

We discuss what comes after antifa finish driving neo-nazis and white supremacists from our streets. In the second part of my interview, crow commented that the left is great at building “fire brigades” but less effective at building power.

I asked crow what building power looks like to him.

“I think that it starts with asking the question, ‘What does it take to build power?'”

Read moreBuilding Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa
Beyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018
A worn analog alarm clock with a water-stained face sits atop a cracked wooden surface. (Pixabay / Monoar, public domain)
January 6, 2018
Kit
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Beyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018

Posted in Creative Commons, Gonzo Notes, and Journalism

2017 was a challenging year, but one that was actually rewarding on a personal level.

I began the year by losing my job at MintPress News, but by the end of the 2017 I’d accepted a position as editor of Ministry of Hemp, a niche media site that’s still in its early stages but rapidly growing into a respected voice.

I started Gonzo Notes in late 2016, and during 2017 it reached many new people and became an important part of my monthly output. One issue, “What Are The Antifa Doing After Harvey?” was quoted internationally.  My writing career continues to grow more rewarding in all kinds of ways, especially in the feedback and support I get from my readers.

Read moreBeyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018