DARE America Forces Alterna, the Hemp Hair Care Company, to Remove Controversial Bus Benches; In Response, Alterna Volunteers an Educational and Financial Partnership.

LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1998--Alterna Applied Research Laboratories, maker of professional hemp hair care products, was forced by DARE America this week to remove hemp shampoo ads from more than 100 bus benches in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Calif.

Proactive in its approach to educate the nation about hemp's many environmental, economic and cosmetic benefits, Alterna has waged its own war focusing on dispelling the myths and misinformation about hemp via a national hemp awareness campaign using billboards and bus benches.

Alterna holds fast to these two facts: hemp is not marijuana and hemp is not a drug. The progressive hair care company and hemp industrialists alike believe that by erroneously defining hemp and marijuana as the same plant, hemp is unjustly persecuted. Currently, DARE America does not actively distinguish between industrial THC (Drug)-free hemp and marijuana and strongly objects to Alterna's use of the hemp leaf in its advertising.

As education is the key to enlightenment, Alterna champions and supports DARE'S drug education programs, with one small exception. In educating our nation's children about the evils of drugs, Alterna believes it is important to explain to kids the differences between hemp and marijuana.

With the explosion of hemp manufacturers nationally and internationally, hemp is a commodity that cannot be ignored. Hemp is now being incorporated into everyday household items and the positive benefits of the plant are being publicized. It is crucial that children do not confuse hemp's benefits with the drug marijuana.

By associating a hemp leaf with the word "HEMP" and the phrase "THC (Drug) free" in its advertising, Alterna has begun a national awareness campaign that clearly presents the differences between hemp and marijuana.

In an effort to educate DARE about hemp and align itself with the venerable program, Alterna has supplied the organization with hemp educational packages and proposed an annual donation of proceeds on all sales of its hair care line to help support DARE'S war on drugs. Despite the outreach, DARE remains steadfast in its opposition to Alterna's pro-hemp campaign.

"DARE has applied strong pressure to the City of Los Angeles, resulting in the removal of the dialog-generating billboards and bus benches," said Kimberlee Jensen-Mitchell, director of publicity for Alterna. "Through this act, Alterna has been denied the opportunity to further create awareness about hemp's vast benefits."

"If hemp and marijuana are left undefined by DARE, how do we properly explain to our children why 29 countries, now including Canada, distinguish between the two plants and encourage hemp cultivation?" asked Mike Brady, vice president of sales and marketing for Alterna. "It's a disservice to children not to give them all the facts. It would be as if the common cooking mushroom and the psychedelic mushroom were not distinguished."

Alterna's bus bench ad design displays a green hemp leaf with "THC (Drug) free" clearly written below it and a bottle of the hemp shampoo with the word "HEMP" emblazoned across the ad. The company's phone number and Web address are also included in order to teach more about hemp's many benefits, especially how it can help improve the strength, shine and healthy appearance of hair.

Unconventional in its approach, Alterna consistently sets new standards in the beauty industry in the fields of advanced formulation and product performance. The first professional hair care company to harness the power of nutrient-rich hemp seed oil in January of 1997, Alterna continually redefines itself as an industry innovator.