"Make the most of the hemp seed -- sow it everywhere" -- George Washington
Hemp and the Environment Hemp is a renewable and sustainable resource. Any product made from petroleum or trees can be made from hemp. Hemp would help shift our economy away from dwindling non-renewable petroleum resources and help preserve our remaining forest resources.
Hemp crops also reduce pollution because they need no pesticides or herbicides.
Hemp's Many Uses Paper: In 1916, the USDA found that one acre of hemp can produce as much paper as four acres of trees. In addition, hemp paper can be bleached without producing dioxins and recycled many more times than tree paper.
Cordage: Hemp rope has been valued throughout history for its superior strength and resistance to mildew and rot. Paint: Hemp seed oil is ideal for use in making paints and varnishes that dry quickly.
Plastics: Hemp cellulose is perfect for making biodegradable plastics (ie, cellophane). Food: Hemp seed is very nutritious. Hemp seed contains 25% protein and is a rich source of essential fatty acids.
Textiles: Hemp's long fibers can be woven into soft and durable fabric. The word canvas comes from the Latin word for cannabis.
Lumber Products: Hemp can be used to make a tree-free fiber board that is stronger than wood fiber board, fire-resistant, and won't warp.
Fuel: Hemp's high yields and quick growth make it an ideal biomass energy crop.
Hemp and the Economy
Over 300 businesses are selling imported hemp products in the U.S. Why should all these profits be going overseas? American farmers should be allowed to supply domestic hemp to these businesses.
Hemp has been valued at $500/acre. And, since hemp is a value-added crop, hemp industry would create thousands of processing and manufacturing jobs in such industries as textiles, plastics, pulp paper, energy, lumber, insulation, nutrition, and cosmetics.
NAFTA and GATT both recognize hemp as a valid agricultural crop. As sales of hemp products continue to grow, American farmers may soon revolt in order to get their fair share of the market.
Hemp is NOT a "Shallow Ruse"
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the main force behind industrial hemp prohibition. The DEA questions the integrity of American farmers by claiming industrial hemp is just a "shallow ruse for the legalization of marijuana".
The DEA is supposed to enforce drug laws, not regulate farm crops. Farmers know that hemp and marijuana are distinct varieties of the same plant species, just as other crops also have distinct varieties. As one farmer points out, "There's sweet corn and field corn and silage corn and popcorn."
Hemp would actually help the DEA eliminate outdoor marijuana production. Marijuana growers must protect their female plants from male pollen. This would be impossible if hemp were grown on a large scale.
Perhaps marijuana has become a "shallow ruse" for the DEA to deter American farmers from growing a profitable crop?
Hemp in Other Countries
Canada, England, Australia, France, Spain, Russia, Hungary, China, and many other countries already grow industrial hemp as a fiber crop. None have experienced an increase in marijuana production or use. Hemp and the Law
Hemp production began to decline with the passage of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act. This law was supposed to protect the legitimate hemp industry, but it didn't. The U.S. needs to clarify this law to recognize the distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana.
Hemp in the U.S.
The race is on to see which states will be the first to re-develop the American hemp industry.
In November 1994, the Governor of Kentucky appointed a task force to study hemp.
In April 1995, the first meeting of the North American Industrial Hemp Forum was attended by representatives from Colorado, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oregon, Indiana, and Canada. The Forum announced its intention to "foster a better understanding of the nature of industrial hemp."
Interest in hemp continues to grow. It is not a question of if industrial hemp will be produced in the U.S. It's a question of when and by whom. The first states to begin hemp production will profit the most.
Hemp in Colorado
The Colorado Hemp Initiative Project (CO-HIP) is working to put Colorado at the forefront of hemp industry in the U.S.
In January 1995, the Hemp Production Act was introduced to the Colorado Senate. The bill would have allowed and regulated the cultivation of industrial hemp as a cash fiber crop for Colorado farmers. Although the bill was killed, it sparked serious interest in the agricultural community.
The bill will be re-introduced in January 1996. CO-HIP is organizing the lobbying efforts in support of the bill. We are building a grass- roots coalition of farmers, environmentalists, agricultural researchers, manufacturers, retailers and others who support industrial hemp research. A coalition of such diverse people working to change agricultural policy will be a formidable force in the state legislature.
What Can I Do to Promote Hemp?
1) Write letters and make phone calls to:
a) Governor Roy Romer
Ask the governor to promote hemp research in Colorado for the
economy and the environment.
Governor Roy Romer
State Capitol Bldg., 200 E. Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 866-2885
b) Colorado Legislators
Ask them to support the Colorado Hemp Production Act of 1996.
To find out who your representatives and senators are, call the
Capitol at (303) 866-4865 or (303) 866-4866.
c) D.C. Legislators
Ask them to promote industrial hemp research on a federal level
to make us competitive with other NAFTA countries.
Senator
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3121
Representative
U. S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3121
President Bill Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
(202) 456-1111
Richard Rominger
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Administration Bldg. - Room 202B
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250
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Due to space limitations, all the citations for facts contained herein cannot be included. Please refer to these excellent publications for more information or write CO-HIP.