Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jun 2000
Source: Santa Barbara News-Press (CA)
Copyright: 2000 Santa Barbara News-Press
Contact:  P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
Website: http://www.newspress.com/
Author: Jack Ray

LEARN MORE ABOUT BENEFITS OF HEMP

We're all going to die. Well, maybe not just yet. There seems to be 
increasing alarm from the environmental crowd that earplugs are becoming a 
necessity.

The part that confuses me the most is why they are not more readily 
supporting actor Woody Harrelson's efforts to distinguish between 
industrial hemp and marijuana? Recently, he was arrested for ceremoniously 
planting four industrial hemp seeds in Kentucky as an act of civil 
disobedience.

Throughout history hemp has been a vital plant used for sails, ropes (both 
Columbus and the Mayflower had them), paper, medicine, and many other uses 
(http://www.hemp.com/101/QuickFacts.asp). Hemp is nature's longest, 
strongest, most durable fiber. As a fabric it is softer, more insulating, 
absorbent, breathable, and longer lasting than cotton.

One acre of hemp produces as much paper as 4.1 acres of trees. The first 
paper was made from hemp as well as the first draft of the Declaration of 
Independence, the first draft of the U.S. Constitution, and even the first 
Gutenberg Bibles.

The Santa Barbara Libertarians are hosting their annual Decriminalization 
Day on July 3 in De La Guerra Plaza 
(http://www.silcom.com/~taxabo/decrim.htm). You're welcome to come out and 
learn more about extending freedom to others (I don't use drugs, drink 
alcohol, or smoke cigarettes) so that you may be freer.

Woody Harrelson wrote a letter to the IRS admitting that he had underpaid 
his taxes by $10,000 (donated to an industrial hemp research organization) 
and ended the letter with, "If boycott and tax resistance are the only 
avenues left to us, then that is the route I will take."

Jack Ray, Goleta
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