James Woolsey (ex-CIA), Hemp Advocate

[jpak]

http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2006/04/james-woolsey-hemp-advocate.html

Industrial hemp has an unlikely new champion: former CIA director James Woolsey. Woolsey sees a link between the need to end America's oil addiction and hemp's potential as a source of renewable energy. He said so when he visited my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan last weekend as part the 2006 Powershift National Tour. According to its website the tour is "a public education effort designed to engage decision-makers, youth, farmers, media and the general public on energy security."

During a question and answer session one audience member broached the subject of hemp. Embarrassed conference organizers tried to move on to another question, but Woolsey insisted on responding. To their surprise he offered a lengthy disquisition on the merits of cellulosic ethanol as an alternative fuel, the myths about industrial hemp and the potential advantages to American farmers. And, he announced that he is a board member of the North American Industrial Hemp Council.

"If you wanted to hide marijuana in a field of industrial hemp, you'd have to be very high," Woolsey said. He explained that industrial hemp has a very low THC level compared to marijuana for recreational and medical use. (THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana.) So low is that level that placing the two plants together causes the recreational marijuana to lose its potency because of cross-pollination with the industrial version.

"There is no bigger enemy of marijuana than industrial hemp," he added. "But, the United States in its wisdom has banned all hemp--I suppose to enhance the production of marijuana," he joked.

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[Jara sang]

1. I seriously wouldn't trust a thing that man says.

[RufusEarl]

2. Seriously, you should do a little research!

Start here http://www.thehia.org/ And take it from there, education is a good thing!

[Jara sang]

3. Screw that. I'm for hemp. But I would never trust anything...

That comes out of Jim Woolsey's mouth. What he is saying may even be the truth, but what it is he's saying, he's saying it for a reason and no good will come from it. Woolsey is a master manipulator.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Wow, this is major for a guy like Woolsey

to come out in support of industrial hemp.

Maybe he's smart enough to realize that some big changes are needed if you really want to keep America safe and secure?

Or maybe all his old oil buddies have finally made enough money, that they can retire and not give a shit anymore?