Pubdate: Mon, 09 Oct 2000
Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)
Copyright: 2000 The Anchorage Daily News
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Author: Bob Kelly

HEMP WON'T SAVE THE WORLD

As the debate over legalizing marijuana intensifies, we are seeing more and
more misinformation presented to the public to support its use.

It should be apparent, even to those who don't closely follow this issue,
that the "industrial hemp" people have a not-so-hidden agenda to get
high-potency marijuana on the streets. The chances of creating a successful
hemp industry in Alaska are zero. What happened to the agricultural efforts
at Point MacKenzie and elsewhere in Alaska? This was after the botanical
experts said it was possible and millions in state monies were spent. The
only way hemp, which is low-potency marijuana, can grow in Alaska is indoors
under lights, making it cost-prohibitive.

The pro-hemp people know this but are blowing smoke at us to blind us from
their true agenda, which they tack on to the end of their referendum. This
is to make potent marijuana legal, to free drug dealers, clear their records
and compensate the criminals convicted of commercially producing it. These
people weren't imprisoned for having personal use quantities of marijuana in
their homes. They are the large, commercial cultivators who had previous
felony drug convictions. They sold pot, not to benefit society, but to
benefit their bank accounts.

If marijuana could save the world, as the dopers say, we would have figured
it out a long time before now.
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