Pubdate: Thu, 14 Oct 2010 Source: Boulder Weekly (CO) Copyright: 2010 Stan White Contact: http://www.boulderweekly.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57 Author: Stan White Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n821/a04.html AMERICA SHOULD GO TO POT ("Oakland goes to pot," The Highroad, Oct. 7.) Hopefully, it isn't just Oakland going to pot, but rather the entire state of California with all of North America following them. Californian citizens have an opportunity to vote yes on Proposition 19 this Nov. 2, effectively ending cannabis (marijuana) prohibition and extermination. California was the first state to prohibit cannabis and could be the first state to re-legalize it, too. Another reason to completely re-legalize the God-given plant that doesn't get mentioned is that it could open the door to allowing American farmers to grow hemp. If citizens may grow cannabis with THC, it's reasonable to believe American farmers may grow hemp without THC. Communist Chinese farmers are allowed to grow hemp, but free American farmers are not, and that is unfair for American farmers who must compete in the world market. Hemp farming could eliminate the need for foreign oil, uses far less water and pesticides than other crops and grows faster, requires factories and factory workers that cannot be imported to foreign countries, employs farmers, generates taxes and incomes, etc. It's time to re-introduce hemp as a component of American agriculture. Stan White/Dillon - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D