What is your opinions about growing Cannabis sativa L (hemp) for Industry?

[Massacure]

Many countries around the world allow the farming of Canibus to produce hemp to use in clothing and paper.

It is almost impossible to earn a permit to grow it here in the United States though.

[Walt Starr]

1. It's the single best reneable source of biomass on the planet

Not to mention the best source for fiber ever.

The fiber from hemp could be used to build stronger homes, capable of withstanding tornadic winds.

[cheezus]

2. There's some grown in North Dakota

but from what I hear, the red tape makes it a huge pain in the ass.

Hemp sounds great! It could replace tobacco in the south. We can make paper and rope and fiberglass (iirc) etc from it. I believe biodesil as well.

Plus, it's a weed! Grows like f'n crazy.

[Fear]

3. I'm sure it possible to get a permit, the ones grown for these types

of production. They do not contain any of the THC for what the plant is so famous for.

[LTR]

8. THC-rich plants take a lot of work to grow

Only a small percentage of hemp plants contain it, and it can be difficult to grow in mass quantities.

Industrial hemp is what is known as 'ditch weed'. The buzz generated from smoking it would be the equivalent of smoking lawnmower clippings.

Gotta love that 'war on drugs'. :eyes:

[Radical Activist]

4. There's no reason for this to be an issue

It should absolutely be easy to grow legally. It used to be a major crop grown by many historical American leaders. The only reason it isn't allowed is cowardice by political leaders who don't want to appear to be supportive of drugs.

[LTR]

5. If used correctly...

...It could be the most lucrative cash crop in our country.

Hemp has so many uses, and it's doubtful industry could even scrape the surface on hemp's potential.

[htuttle]

6. First off, use ditchweed to reclaim bad or eroded soil

Hemp puts down a taproot of up to 18". That keeps it firmly in the ground in washed out areas, and starts to break up and aerate the dirt. Each year, cart away the stalks for various fiber-related uses, and leave the greenery on the land to rot and restore the Nitrogen to the soil.

Once you start getting an appreciable amount of seeds, use those for food or oil purposes. Again, leave the greenery on the ground to rot and replenish the soil.

While we don't have as much lost farmland as many areas of the world, the laws and pacts that our country pushes internationally prevent this crop from being used in areas where it has historically been central to the economy and the local bioregion, such as Banghladesh.

Could hemp be central to a new Western economy? Not sure. I've been all over the industrial hemp literature and the studies for many years. It has promise, but if we'd plan on growing it the same way we grow everything else in the West, it wouldn't be any more efficient than other industrial fiber/seed crops.

As a central crop of a non-industrial economy, however, it's unmatched.

[DinahMoeHum]

7. As was said during World War II: Hemp For Victory

Not only is hemp used for clothing, paper, and rope, but the seeds and oil are high in omega-3 fatty acids, essential for "good" cholesterol and good health.

In fact, "hemp butter" (like peanut butter) and hemp oil can now be found in health food stores. The seeds are also in several granola- type cereals on the market.


:9

[ronatchig]

9. A classic example of

corporate/private greed overriding the public good imho.

An acre of hemp will produce more fiber in one growing season than 7 acres of trees will in 25 years.

The timber, petrol-chemical industries fear(and rightly so) the widespread use of hemp products in this country. The criminalization of marijuana is mostly a ruse to forbid this most useful of plants.
As has been pointed out here already hemp would produce a superior building product at a much lower cost both econ. and ecological.

I suppose I could say it makes to much sense

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. It is one of the few plants that can be grown from the Arctic Circle to ..

the Antarctic Circle.

The main reason it's acceptance is so politically charged is because, in large part, of DuPont having devised a way of using wood pulp to make paper a cost effective process using a chemical (not surprisingly) made for a long time EXCLUSIVELY by them.

Like most things, it all boils down to greed.

(I am pretty sure it was DuPont, it may have been Dow, but this interest by the chemical industry goes back 100 years)

[Squeech]

11. BTW, whatever happened to jojoba?

Not directly relevant, but I remember hearing about this desert bean that produced an oil that could be substituted for petroleum in some applications, mainly lubricant. It was supposed to be the next big thing. Is it in production today?

[troublemaker]

12. Industrial hemp is a silly issue, IMHO

Are there any energized industrial hemp advocates who do not also favor legalization of drug-grade marijuana?

I dislike "stalking horse" issues. The value of hemp in making people feel good is greater than its value in industry, so why not cut to the chase?

[Rainbowreflect]

14. Bull!

Connecting the many environmentally advantageous uses of hemp with "pot smoking" is playing into the rights hands.
They are two separate issues and hemp might just save this planet.

[uncle ray]

18. thats because

people that are open minded enough to realize the industrial/practical uses of hemp, are also the ones open minded enough to realize that smoking the stuff is no worse than smoking tobacco or consuming anything else. it's kind of a logical progression for logical people.

the point is, that it is next to impossible to grow hemp in the states! i have not kept up on it for quite some time now, but there is an Indian tribe in south dakota that has been doing everything all legal like, only to have the DEA come in year after year and burn their crop.

in this day of post 9/11 secure America, it is amazing that we cannot justify a chain link fence and a rent-a-cop to guard fields of a valuable agricultural commodity from what is an imaginary threat of crazed stoners pillaging the fields? you want to see new jobs? legalize hemp. it is the stigma they give it that the mainstream doesn't even want to touch the topic.

you want to win the drug war? legalize pot and ask the potheads to turn in the BAD part of the drug element. pot smokers know right from wrong too, but as long as pot is illegal, they are forced to be on the side of criminals. treat them like human beings with rights, and you'll discover they too hate those that push drugs on children, make deadly drugs from deadly ingredients, potheads hate thieves, but can't do anything legal to fight crime against them, for fear of the police apprehending the pot smokers instead of the real criminals.

potheads, like blacks, know the fear of the jack-booted thugs. they know what it is like to fear the police for no other reason than the may be caught with a little grass on em. they already know the lack of freedom rapidly expanding to the rest of America. it isn't about controlling DRUGS. it's about controlling PEOPLE. they have something to control everybody. for more middle class people, it's debt, consumerism. pot smokers can't be lured into that pit, so they need to be kept second class citizens in some other way.

war on drugs=war on people
war on terror=war on people

[Bandit]

13. At one time Hemp was America's number one cash crop.

It would do wonders for the environment. Paper would be easy to make without all the extremely harsh chemicals needed to break down the wood pulp. It would last much much longer as well. Clothing would be cheap and easy. It has so many pluses and virtually no negatives. Don't understand the logic for not using it. It is not in the same league as regular marijuana and the THC factor is extremely low. Less than .05% Anyone trying to smoke it would get nothing but a headache.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

16. And who cares if you smoke it????????????......................

There are alot of studies out there that have shown that casual use of marijuana is a negligible problem, at best. I think the benefits of deregulation of hemp agriculture and the decriminalization of marijuana would be a win-win situation for responsible folks here in America.

I'm not a religious fellow, but there's a bumper-sticker out there that kinda sums up the whole issue quite nicely:

GOD created POT,
MAN created ALCOHOL

[Massacure]

15. Anyways one acre can create 1000 (gallons or was it liters?) of methanol

anyways, can it also create ethanol?

[Warren DeMontague]

17. First off

The environmental and economic advantages of legalizing industrial hemp are fairly and rightfully separate from the very legitimate cause of legalizing smokeable marijuana. It's not a "stalking horse" issue to point out that another casualty of our stupid-ass drug laws is our ability to use this very beneficial, very environmentally sound product. They're separate issues because they deal with totally separate products with totally separate purposes and benefits- but the same mindest and legal framework is being used against both of them. I do support legalizing industrial hemp- not because I think it's a secret, backdoor way to get pot legalized, but because I truly believe it's an amazing product that has literally thousands of environmentally beneficial uses (sadly, getting high just isn't one of them)... but that doesn't mean I in any way apologize for, or feel the need to "conceal" my belief that, yeah, smokeable pot should be legal, across the board as well, no question.