Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jun 2008
Source: Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Copyright: 2008 Casper Star-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.casperstartribune.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/765
Author: Joe DePaul

TABOOS PROTECT DECEITFUL BELIEFS

Editor:

During the Middle Ages there was a weather event dubbed  the Little
Ice Age. Many people died because of failing  crops due to a much
colder climate. Potatoes could  still be grown but people refused to
grow or eat them;  they chose starvation instead. They did so because
church leaders including a pope declared potatoes the  devil's food
because they grow beneath the ground.

Today, there exists a plant that can produce 1,000  gallons of
methanol alcohol fuel per acre, compared to  350 gallons of ethanol
produced from corn. Some 60 to  70 gallons of high grade lubricating
oil per acre can  be produced; combine the alcohol and oil and you
have  bio-diesel.

This level of production would certainly reduce our  dependency on
big-money oil without raising food costs.

In addition to fuel, 20,000 often superior, lower cost  products can
be derived from it such as cosmetics,  textiles, and so on. In fact,
about 85 percent of the  building materials needed to build and
furnish a house  can be produced from this most useful plant.

Used as a medicine it's been proven to help the brain  completely
regenerate brain cells damaged by such  diseases as Alzheimer's, etc.
It's also proven to kill  at least seven types of cancer cells. There
are several  other medical uses that could be a great benefit to
human kind, as well.

So why are we not using this extremely beneficial plant  to its
fullest extent?

Well it seems somewhere down the line someone declared  cannabis,
hemp, better known by its nickname,  marijuana, was indeed the devil's
weed because it can  also provide pleasure to those who smoke it.

So rather than ending the absurd cannabis prohibition  once and for
all, we instead choose to be saddled down  with unnecessarily high
fuel and food prices, as well  as super high medical costs. After all,
we need to  protect ourselves from this devil weed no matter the
cost. In reality, it's been proven again and again that  cannabis is
totally harmless to society and users  alike.

Although we've invented all sorts of gadgets from that  Little Ice Age
till the present, as a species we've  regressed rather than
progressed. This is due to the  indisputable fact that most people
refuse to learn from  the mistakes of the past.

Self induced ignorance is voluntary slavery.

JOE DePAUL,  Casper
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake