Pubdate: Mon, 17 Jan 2011
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2011 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Skot Pierson

HEMP FIBER HOLDS KEY OPPORTUNITY

I have to wonder at this Democratic-controlled Legislature. Last 
year, the Democratic contingent came out quite vocally in support of 
the Marijuana Legalization Initiative, and yet to date, not one of 
them has even broached the idea of legalization for the purposes of 
freeing up the hemp industry.

The new jobs created in the cloth/textiles, paper, food, bio-diesel 
and farming industries would create new revenue streams for the 
anemic state coffers, finally putting Washington farmers back into 
the position where they can make a healthy profit again (as opposed 
to subsidizing foreign farmers to grow it) and putting thousands to 
work across our beleaguered state.

It would create new employer/employee tax revenues. There would be 
all new industrial licensing fees, and it would put a healthy dent in 
our outrageous unemployment figures, with the creation of 
corporate/industrial jobs as well as in new state government 
positions in the obligatory industrial regulatory infrastructure.

Affirmative action toward the creation of jobs and new sources of 
state revenue, instead of continuing the status quo (nearly 10 
percent of the state's workforce praying for yet another extension of 
their sub-starvation wage unemployment check).

The solution to the state's financial woes has been right in front of 
your eyes the whole time; the public was has just been miss-directed 
to the topics of recreational/medicinal uses only. A legalized hemp 
industry has no downside in terms of the economic recovery.

All you have to do is be able to think outside of the baggie.

Skot Pierson

Edmonds 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake