Pubdate: Fri, 03 Mar 2000
Source: Capital Press (OR)
Copyright: 2000 Capital Press Agriculture Weekly
Contact:  PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308
Fax: (503) 370-4383
Website: http://www.capitalpress.com/
Bookmark: MAP's link to Hemp articles is:
http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm

INDUSTRIAL HEMP SHOULD BE OK

Question 1: Why would the United States stand by and let other nations take 
over a market for an agricultural product in demand?

Question 2: Why should farmers and related industry in the Pacific 
Northwest sit by and miss an opportunity for a cash crop that makes a good 
rotation crop as well?

The answer: A paranoia about marijuana that prevents drug enforcers, who 
obviously know little about agriculture, from distinguishing between 
industrial hemp and its cousin that produces an illegal drug.

The solution: Let's get over the paranoia, focus on the many benefits of 
hemp and join the world before it's too late.

It's readily apparent that, despite the paranoia, hemp is catching on as a 
prolific producer of versatile and tough fiber. Thirty-two countries grow 
it and the United State imports many of its finished products.

A growing number of states have authorized farm production of hemp or at 
least experimentation to test it against the concerns of law enforcement. 
The United States ought not be left out, especially when it could easily 
become an exporter as world markets are developed.

Neither should Oregon, Washington, Idaho or California. Their farmers 
should be cleared to add a profitable crop. Idaho has legislation pending 
that would legalize at least the testing of industrial hemp.

Legislatures of the other states in this region would do well to take up 
the issue with a goal of getting industrial hemp into production.

At this point, enforcement agencies are clinging to an absolute rule that 
marijuana and hemp are one and the same. This, despite the fact that the 
intoxicant in the marijuana cousin is found only in trace amounts in hemp.

States already into research have found precious little cause for confusion 
between the two plants. Indeed, one researcher identified a compound in 
hemp that inhibits the intoxicant in marijuana.

Cross-fertilization, he added, would reduce the buzz of marijuana rather 
than intoxicate hemp.

But the real lack of enforcers' understanding of farming is shown by their 
fear that hemp would provide a cover for growth of marijuana. Hemp is 
produced for its strong fiber and therefore is tall and tightly grouped. 
Its harvest comes early.

Marijuana is sought for flowers and leaves. Therefore, it is short and 
bushy and is harvested late.

Hemp, a cover for marijuana? Anyone who tried it would probably find he had 
perfectly exposed his illicit crop.

There are so many uses that a strong market here and abroad just waits for 
science to triumph over paranoia.

Hemp's strong fibers are especially prized for rope, but also for shoes, 
clothing, other rugged fabric, even paper. It produces twice as much fiber 
per acre as the average forest. Its resins are used for plastics, its oils 
for medicines.

Farmers, it is estimated, would stand to take in more than $300 an acre 
from growing hemp, and would not have to multiply the cost of production 
with expensive pesticides or fertilizer.

Evidence suggests that hemp was banned in the '30s because of its 
competitive strength against other sources of fiber, such as wood.

The ban was lifted for World War II, then reinstated.

Let's free our farmers to get into production of industrial hemp that is 
easily distinguished from its intoxicating cousin. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake