How Hemp Legalization Would Benefit My Family and Country

[orphanedhawk]

Within a decade of the end of America’s War on Drugs, hemp is going to be an even bigger industry than psychoactive cannabis—and it's healthy.
July 1, 2013  |  

How can a decision be both astonishing and a no-brainer? On June 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed (as the rest of the world long ago did) an industrial cannabis (hemp) cultivation provision in the massive five-year Farm Bill. The vote was 225-200. Of course, the whole Farm Bill was subsequently voted down, but that was just the usual nation’s political process falling apart – it had nothing to do with humanity’s longest utilized plant.

So I find myself, fresh back from months of international industrial cannabis research, calling a minor hemp study approval clause a landmark step for the nation, the planet and my family (not to mention a huge leap toward the end of the 40-year Drug War).

Because that’s what it was. Most of the early coverage of the hemp provision, put forth by Colorado Representative Jared Polis and two other congressmen, notes correctly that the Republican controlled House took the brunt of the Drug Enforcement Administration lobbying that had killed a similar provision on the Senate a week earlier, and, rightly, ignored its babbling, anti-American idiocy.

To quote one passage from the DEA talking point memo (first broken by Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post), “It is true that, if given a choice, marijuana smokers will seek cannabis with a relatively high THC concentration over the type of cannabis typically grown for industrial purposes. However, as indicated, there is no guarantee that a cannabis plant grown for industrial purposes will not cause a psychoactive effect when smoked.”

Really? That has never happened, anywhere. Canada, in its 15 years of hemp legality, has not had a single problem with hemp used for psychoactive purposes, according to Anndrea Hermann, who tests hemp crops for the Canadian government. We Americans buy a half billon dollars of Canadian hemp products every year, and that number is growing 20% annually.  We’re just not allowed to grow it here. This kind of trade imbalance, which the turf-protecting DEA deciders are finally failing to encourage, is why the American colonies fought for independence from Britain.

I should note here that, after three years of reporting from the Drug War’s front lines, I believe the good men and women of the DEA are doing their best. I applaud efforts to stem the flow of dangerous drugs like cocaine and black market prescription pills. What’s coming through here in the hemp discussion is my citizen anger at a government agency putting its budget ahead of the clear interests of the nation. Fighting tooth and nail to defend a ban on hemp is outrageous.

Why is our appetite for hemp products so insatiable? The hemp food and body care products, in which the Canadians specialize, are healthy. The Canadian government knows this. It conducts hemp cultivar (seed variety) research for its farmers, instead of lobbying to keep North Dakota, Kentucky and Colorado farmers from cultivating a much-needed cash crop, as our DEA does. In fact, the president of Canada’s largest hemp oil processing company, Shaun Crew, told me his company is ready to “parachute” into the North Dakota seed oil market the moment it’s legal to grow hemp Stateside. And it’s not just Canada. China’s president, in a recent visit to a hemp processing facility, called for a massive increase in hemp cultivation. They can’t keep up with demand.

cont @
http://www.alternet.org/economy/why-legalizing-hemp-matters-my-family

[adgal]

It also amazes me that more warnings aren't out about tylenol.  People over use it all the time thinking it's harmless.  And tylenol with alcohol can do even more damage, yet I have never seen it posted on the packaging.  You hear of so many people also doubling up on cold products - taking something like cough syrup with nyquil or something.  That's double dosing of tylenol as many many of these products contain it.  So dangerous.

[teko]

Tylenol? Yes you make a very good point.

[orphanedhawk]

Yes, teko but you can say  the same about wine however you can always make your own wine, or grow your own weed.
However, the point of posting this was more about the other uses for the plant.

BTW: My favorite rant is over tylenol. Everyone uses it, docs prescribe it all the time yet people have had emergency liver transplants from it and kids have died. Few know how potentially dangerous it can be to our livers.

[adgal]

Hemp has a ton of great uses and is an easy, relatively inexpensive plant to grow.  I\ve added hemp seeds to my yogurt for years..super high in fiber and very very healthy (although not overly tasty on it's own, hence the adding it to yogurt). I'm not a vegetarian, but here is a great article on the health benefits of hemp seeds.

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/beverage1/a/what-are-hemp-seeds.htm

[specialmom]

Teko, very good point!

[teko]

Here is my deal. They made smoking tobacco legal only if you were over a certain age. Down thru the years the tobacco became mixed with other toxic ingredients to make someone addicted. Then they come out and tell us how harmful smoking is and start a campaign to make smokers second class citizens for doing it, restricting healthcare and raising premiums if you do it, raise taxes to pay for the damage done and look where we are with that after how many years.

So here is my deal. Who is to say, that we pass the legalization of pot with all the best intentions in the world, restricting use by age, taxing it and then the greedy powers that be start putting the same toxins and additives that brings us right back to where we are with cigarettes.

I have been trying to kick that habit unsuccessfully for any length of time over many years. do ya think If I start smoking pot it will help me quit smoking? maybe?

[specialmom]

That's why I said I really don't mind people wearing it.  I caught that.  

But then I picture desperation like when an alcoholic resorts to swigging vanilla extract or drinking perfume and mouth wash.  Is someone going to rip off their shirt at a party and smoke it in a needful moment?  (kidding)

[orphanedhawk]

Although there are some bits about pot in this article, it's actually about hemp, the plant which George Washington among others, used to grow for fiber.

I now live in wine country. Some wine grapes are quite good table grapes but not all. Some have such tart skins that you'd spit them out if you tried to eat them.
There are different grapes and there are different varieties of cannabis too. The type used for hemp is not what those seeking a high, are after.
                                            ~                 ~                   ~
I actually find it ironic that wine growing is encouraged here while they still try to stop people from growing what is unquestionably the real biggest ag crop in this area.

[specialmom]

Am hoping that it doesn't become the norm---  really hate pot smoking.  Don't really care if people wear it though.  

But know that I am a lone ranger here at the CE on this subject.  So will leave it to the rest to nod their head yes in agreement.  :>)