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. - --- MAP posted-by: Andrew Grice