Want to stop deforestation and slow the effects of global warming? Legalize hemp now.

[Bjorn Against]

There has been a lot of talk recently about global warming and the steps we need to take to stop it. There is one huge step that we could take however that has not been discussed nearly enough, we need to legalize hemp farming in the United States immediately.

We know as a fact that deforestation is one of the major contributors to climate change as trees absorb a great deal of the excess carbon dioxide in our environment. We also know that it is a basic fact that one of the big reasons that our forests are being chopped down is for paper production. Hemp can provide us with high quality paper products without having to cut down any trees at all. It is a solution that seems so obvious, yet because of the fear of being labeled soft on drugs our politicians are unwilling to tell the DEA to go to hell.

Make no mistake about it the environment and the war on (some) drugs are two issues that are tied closely together. Hemp could not only save our forests, but it could do many other things for us as well. Hemp makes an excellent fiber which could replace much our cotton clothing. Cotton just happens to be a crop that uses an enormous amount of pesticides in its production. As we all know those pesticides have serious public health consequences, and are very harmful to our water ways. If that is not enough of a reason to switch to hemp, then consider this. Hemp oil can also be used as a substitute for many petroleum products. I don't think I need to tell you why it is a good thing to find new substitutes for petroleum products.

Despite all of the benefits of hemp however our government has made it a crime to grow this plant in the United States because they claim it is too closely related to marijuana, a drug which has not directly killed a single person in its thousands of years of use. It is a drug safer than alcohol, tobacco, and many over the counter medications. Even aspirin and coffee kill more people than pot does. Yet our government tells us that this mild drug is so threatening that they can not even allow a plant that is closely related to it yet does not have the psychoactive effects to be grown in this country.

We need to stop this insane war on drugs and start planting hemp fields now. Global warming is a very serious issue and we need to find a way to stop deforestation very quickly. We have a solution to this problem which we have known about for literally thousands of years and we are not taking advantage of this obvious solution to one of our great pressing issues. We can slow the effects of global warming, but it seems politicians are more concerned about being labeled "soft on drugs" than they are in taking a step that would both be beneficial to our environment and stimulate rural economies which have been struggling recently.

Enough of this insanity. End the war on drugs and legalize hemp production now.

[aquart]

1. Fine by me.

[leftofthedial]

2. damned hippies

trying to stop hard-working capitalists from owning everything

















oh, uh, :sarcasm:

[valerief]

3. Okay, but how will the rich folk take to this change? It may peeve them. nt

[Bjorn Against]

5. We need leaders who will worry about what is good for the people, not what is good for the elite

I do know what you are saying though, because I do believe that the real reason pot is illegal is because they want an excuse to keep hemp illegal. The timber industry, the alcohol industry, the chemical industry, they don't like hemp because it cuts into their profits. As we all know though there are things much more important than corporate profiteering and people need to stand up and take these industries on.

[crikkett]

8. hemp != cannabis

industrial hemp is not cannabis.

[Webster Green]

16. Yes it is cannabis..

Cannabis Sativa.

[crikkett]

19. Ok, what's the difference then?

[tridim]

22. Yes, but it's a sativa specifically bred for maximum fiber production

Sativa dominant strains are also bred for their "up" psychoactive effects, however most smokers smoke sativa/indica crosses.

[Webster Green]

25. Correct...we call them haffy-affy..

Most of the really good potent stuff was bred by crossing very potent Thai or Pakistani sativas with fat and sticky Afghani indicas.

[AndyTiedye]

14. Pot Isn't Illegal Because of "Rich People". It's Because of ONE Rich Person Who Owned the News

Pot is illegal because of ONE rich person who owned a lot of paper mills and woodlots,
and also owned the biggest newspaper chain in the country: Willian Randolph Hearst.

[Bjorn Against]

15. Yes Hearst did play a huge role in criminalizing pot...

But the role of DuPont was very significant as well. It should be noted that the DuPont chemical company had very significant financial interests in seeing hemp criminalized, and Hearst had major financial interests in the timber industry. Despite the propaganda the reasons they wanted pot criminalized had nothing to do with the drug, it had to do with hemp and the competition it was giving to their industries.

[PDJane]

4. Hemp is incredibly useful,

and I agree.

[Robbien]

6. Interesting take

Sounds like a great idea.

But as in the case of Coca leaves in Latin America, this Admin has a full on hatred of all lessor hallucinogenic plants. Cuts into their profits from the drug trade.

[stellanoir]

7. another toke. . .I mean take. . .

http://hightowerdownload.com/node/30

Put that in Thomas Jefferson's pipe and smoke it.

[Bjorn Against]

9. Thanks for posting that

I love Jim Hightower, he is very entertaining and makes some great points.

[stellanoir]

17. It's been around for a while

but I am reminded of the point about the futility of wars in general.

The wars on terror, drugs, and poverty have only reinforced all of those influences. Can't figure which of those is more futile or inhumane.

We need a more enlightened approach perhaps. . . and duhhh.

"Wars are perhaps now unwinnable in this still new millennium."

Legalizing even just non psychoactive hemp would not only save our family farms, economy, and environment, but perhaps our world.

So why the flop don't they do it. . .?

Ahhh that would be a rhetorical question.

Unfortunately, I'm all too aware of the short sighted, unenlightened, disasterous policies of our unrepresentative leadership.

Something you may have missed. . .

http://entimg.msn.com/i/ExperienceData/p1-7/us/x.htm?sh=LiveEarth&ep=le_ny&ch=74

"Corporate toadies" indeed.

On edit somebody has mucked around with the link. That's not supposed to lead to Bon Jovi's intro for Al Gore. It's supposed to lead to RFKjr's inspired speech which is the previous video. Well worth a listen for sure. Wonder why the corporate media gave it no coverage whatsoever. . .?

Yet another rhetorical question.

[sam sarrha]

10. got to fight the cotton and particularly the oil companies, hemp can free of foreign oil

hemp oil can run our cars and tie up the carbon in a closed cycle

[sam sarrha]

11. here is a must read site on hemp..... LINK>

http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html

[Bjorn Against]

13. Thanks, I should have included that in my OP

Jack Herer's book The Emperor Wears No Clothes (which can be read in full at the link you provided) is very eye opening. I don't know how anyone could read that book and not favor legalization.

[proud patriot]

12. K and R

:hi:

[porphyrian]

18. We need Johnny Weedseed... - n/t

[alfredo]

20. Hemp grows well on marginal land, important in places like

eastern Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia. It's not hard to tell the difference between hemp and pot. Pot plants are further apart to allow for foliage. Hemp is grown for the stems and is planted close together.

One reason it isn't legal is Ky, Virginia, and the Carolinas is Tobacco. The big tobacco companies want to keep their fingers around the farmer's throats until all production goes offshore. Until then, hemp will stay illegal.

[Bjorn Against]

21. Hemp can grow in many different climates too

It is one of the most versatile crops there is, if it were legalized you would see it become a major cash crop in many different states all across the country.

[alfredo]

24. That's it.

They can allocate acreage like they do with tobacco. If it is growing elsewhere, then they can investigate to see if it is hemp or marijuana. It can be done, but we need to neutralize the power of big tobacco.

[bamacrat]

23. I agree, hemp can be grown and harvested annually, yet it takes a lifetime for a tree to be ready.

Hemp and its lovely brother weed should both be legalized, so much money could be made from the two. and so much peace and security would arise as well.

[pitohui]

26. i can't legalize hemp, i think congress needs to do that

believe you me, if i was the boss of the world, a lot of things would be a lot different

[Bjorn Against]

30. Well we should make you boss of the world then :)

Seriously though, I know most people who read this are not going to be people who are in a position where they can change things by snapping their fingers, but we do need to get a discussion going and that is what everyone here can do. Just bringing this up as an issue every once in a while can get a few more people thinking about it and that can go a long way.

[OnionPatch]

27. Another benefit: hemp seed is loaded with omega-3s.

I've read that it has more omega-3 oils than flax seed!

It is an incredibly useful plant. We just read that it can slow the progress of alzheimer's: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17140265

It's hard not to conclude that it's darned near a miracle plant. :shrug: Who da thunkit?

[WhiteTara]

33. don't forget the beautiful fiber! Hemp Clothes

are elegant and wear like cast iron. THe original blue jeans were hemp fiber.

[GreenPartyVoter]

28. I love this fact sheet

http://www.thehia.org/hempfacts.htm

[LWolf]

29. Gladly. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

31. This seems totally logical to me,

thanks for the thread MN Against Bush.

:thumbsup:

[southerncrone]

32. Don't ya see? Industrial hemp vs. maryjawanna......that involves science.......&

we CANNOT recognize science, because Jerry Falwell said so!
Science is evil, evil, I say!

Besides, the Chimp doesn't understand science talk. Too many big words....& it's another language....that Latin....& that's evil, too. Keep it Simple for Stupid.
:crazy:

[Prophet 451]

34. I can think of a couple more

Cannabis seed makes a highly nutritious gruel. Could feen the entire homeless population with that. Hemp also makes a very fine and very hard-wearing paper. Ever see a really old Bible that feels like it's printed on tissue paper? That's hemp paper. Cheap to produce but exceedingly long-lasting.

Hemp also makes very good cosmetics. Here, the Body Shop sells a range of hemp products (they get around the law by breeding cannabis with no THC content), my other half is very partial to them.

And that's discounting the medical effects....

Let's remember though, that an awful lot of vested interests stand to lose a lot of money if hemp is legalised, even only for industrial purposes. That's not saying we should give up but we should be aware of the forces arrayed against us.