Pubdate: Thu, 06 Aug 2009
Source: Santa Ynez Valley Journal (CA)
Copyright: 2009 Santa Ynez Valley Journal
Contact:  http://www.santaynezvalleyjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4847
Author: Harris Sherline
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp)

THE CASE FOR HEMP

For reasons I do not fully understand, Americans seem to have lost 
the common sense that has always been a hallmark of our culture. Once 
again, we seem to be routinely shooting ourselves in the foot by 
adopting public policies that run counter to our own best interests.

A good example is outlawing the use of hemp -- one of the most 
beneficial crops in the history of the world -- by burdening it with 
unnecessary and restrictive regulation in the name of fighting the 
so-called War on Drugs.

Hemp is a harmless plant that is the source of an almost endless list 
of benefits. Wikipedia notes that it can be used in everything from 
food products to clothes, as well as having multiple industrial or 
commercial uses such as "paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, 
construction, health food and fuel."

China, France and Canada are all major producers of hemp, and 
although more hemp is exported to the U.S. than to any other country, 
our government generally does not distinguish between marijuana and a 
type of hemp that is used only for industrial and commercial purposes.

The North American Industrial Hemp Council, Inc. (NAIHC) notes, "The 
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classifies all C. sativa varieties 
(of hemp) as 'marijuana.' While it is theoretically possible to get 
permission from the government to grow hemp, DEA would require that 
the field be secured by a fence, razor wire, dogs, guards and lights, 
making it cost-prohibitive."

The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 "placed an extremely high tax on 
marijuana and made it effectively impossible to grow industrial hemp 
.. (and) the Federal Bureau of Narcotics lumped industrial hemp with 
marijuana, as its successor, the U.S. Drug Enforcement 
Administration, does to this day." As Groucho Marx famously quipped, 
"Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others."

Other facts about hemp offered by NAIHC include: "Hemp has been grown 
for at least the last 12,000 years for fiber (textiles and paper) and food."

Much of the bird seed sold in the U.S. has hemp seed (it's sterilized 
before importation), the hulls of which contain about 25% protein."

Rudolph Diesel designed his engine to run on hemp oil." "Construction 
products such as medium density fiber board, oriented strand board 
and even beams, studs and posts could be made out of hemp. Because of 
hemp's long fibers, the products will be stronger and/or lighter than 
those made from wood."

Over 25,000 products can be made from hemp. "To receive a standard 
psychoactive dose (of hemp) would require a person to power-smoke 
10-12 hemp cigarettes over an extremely short period of time. The 
large volume and high temperature of vapor, gas and smoke would be 
almost impossible for a person to withstand."

Hemp fibers are longer, stronger, more absorbent and more 
mildew-resistant than cotton." "Fabrics made of at least one-half 
hemp block the sun's UV rays more effectively than other fabrics."

Hemp can be made into a variety of fabrics, including linen quality."

Hemp grows well in a variety of climates and soil types. It is 
naturally resistant to most pests, precluding the need for 
pesticides. It grows tightly spaced, out-competing any weeds, so 
herbicides are not necessary. It also leaves a weed-free field for a 
following crop."

Hemp can yield 3-8 tons of fiber per acre. This is four times what an 
average forest can yield."

The bottom line is that by treating hemp as a drug, the United States 
has effectively shut down one of the most profitable and useful crops 
in history and has once again essentially abandoned the market to 
other nations that have a more realistic attitude.

We are preventing our farmers from growing a crop that has almost 
unlimited uses. It's cheap and easy to plant and cultivate, and could 
potentially rejuvenate the small farming industry in America.

While spending billions of dollars in what has been an almost 
fruitless effort to keep small farmers on the farm, we have also been 
unwilling to simply let them to do it for themselves by allowing them 
to cultivate perhaps the best cash crop they could grow.

By stubbornly refusing to change or adapt our thinking, we are once 
again preventing one of our own industries from producing an 
important product and leaving a major market to our competition.

But, that's just my opinion.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom