* * Jim Politis’ challenge for commercial hemp

This article appeared in my column in the News Messenger

Jim Politis is on a quixotic journey that might just have a successful end. He wants Virginia farmers like himself to legally be able to grow hemp. We got together recently to talk about it.

Jim is, in his words, an alternative farmer and entrepreneur. “I’ve done all kinds of odd jobs; I’ve never made a whole lot of money but had a whole lot of fun.” He was recently defeated after serving four four-year terms on the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

He was born and raised in the midwest, buying his first piece of property in south Montgomery County in 1985. His wife had family there. His property is between Pilot and Riner on Brush Creek.

He spoke highly of being on the Board. “It was one of the better experiences I’ve had. You face a lot of challenges, and you deal with them.” He called himself more Republican than Democratic. “I believe that people should fend for themselves. I don’t believe in a lot of government programs.”

As an alternative farmer, he got involved years ago in raising bison, which he eventually began selling at a store he opened in Riner, Brush Creek Store. “I was the first buffalo farmer in the County. I’m a little different in my thinking and ideas. I’d been in business for myself since 1981. This was 1993. We decided to do something different on the farm.”

Politis did his research and then bought his first animals. One of his advisors said, “When you have beef, the market is set for you. When you have buffalo, you set your own market, and you sell it for what you want.” That appealed to him.

“They are big, beautiful animals. There is one on my farm now that is over 2000 pounds. I raised them now for 18 years until 2011, and I’ve never woken up one day wishing I was somewhere else or doing something else. My life goal is not to always have things the best. I feel much better when I wake up with a challenge the next morning.”

In 2008, Politis became interested in commercial hemp production. The crash came and lots of farmers were struggling. A friend from North Carolina brought him some shirts to sell that were made of 60% hemp and 40% cotton. They were American-made, expensive, but durable. The hemp fiber was imported because it was illegal to grow in America. “It is a versatile product. We needed a new agricultural product in Virginia to keep our farms viable and keep our kids engaged.

“Marijuana and hemp are the same family, but only like a wolf is related to a chihuahua. Both marijuana and hemp are cannabis, but hemp doesn’t have enough of the psychotropic agent, THC, to make it potent as a drug.

 “In 1619, the Virginia House of Burgesses demanded that colonists grow hemp for fiber for rope, canvas, and clothing. George Washington grew it. We stopped growing it in the late 1920s.”

Jim said he was not a conspiracy theorist but did believe there were powerful people who worked to push the hemp industry out. In 1938, congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which essentially destroyed the industry. By the time the Second World War started, the demand for hemp fiber caused the law to be overturned. But in 1970, Nixon passed the controlled substance act that considered all cannabis products to be marijuana. It is a Schedule One drug that makes it as bad as heroin. That’s what we’re stuck with now. That’s what Jim is trying to change.

I said, “It has to strike you as ironic, that even though several states have recently legalized marijuana for recreational consumption, here in Virginia you’re fighting to have even the non-potent stuff legalized.”

He replied, “Even states that can legally grow psychotropic stuff are limited in the amount they can grow. Hemp is a commodity that to be successful commercially must be grown in thousands of acres.

“I’m going to the state legislature to get commercial hemp legalized. It’s going well. I have lots of supporters. Only Congressman Goodlatte (R) (sixth congressional district) is opposed, due to law enforcement issues. Five Virginia congressmen voted against allowing universities to obtain seeds for research. Delegate Joseph Yost (R) (twelfth delegate district) is sponsoring legislation at the state level. The agricultural department heads at Virginia Tech and UVA are supportive. The most recent Federal Farm Bill allows for the states to participate.” So Politis, Yost and the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition are shepherding it through the Virginia General Assembly.

“It’s a romantic thing. We were the first (state) to grow it. It is historic. I am a bit of a romantic myself, and I enjoy challenges.”