Industrial Hemp

[Iron-Hampster]

I know a common argument against this is that "but Iron-Hempster, you only want marijuana to be legal so that you can smoke it with out consequence." I'll admit to that. I do want Marijuana to be legal so I can make my own personal decision with out other people harassing me unlawfully.

But then there is Industrial hemp. It is where all the other uses come from. it has a very low THC content and is pretty much impossible to get high off of. While clothing made from this is not comfortable, it is incredibly cheap, and durable, perfect for people who are having a hard time getting by. In this current economy, there are lots of those people out there. I for one would also be using it not because I'm having a hard time paying the bills, but because as a welder, I destroy a lot of pants, and would like a cheaper alternative that lasts longer to wreck all the time. Then finally, because it makes paper, it means you don't have to cut down trees to produce paper anymore. That means either: A, you save trees, or B: you get to export more lumber. Win win.

So tell me, why shouldn't this be allowed? It is not a drug, and it is a massive economic opportunity that can't be underestimated.

[Feoric]

To quote Noam Chomsky, as he puts things more eloquently than I ever will:

"U.S. domestic drug policy does not carry out its stated goals, and policymakers are well aware of that. If it isn't about reducing substance abuse, what is it about? It is reasonably clear, both from current actions and the historical record, that substances tend to be criminalized when they are associated with the so-called dangerous classes, that the criminalization of certain substances is a technique of social control."

The war on drugs makes sure coffers are filled and regressive policy makers stay in power by wasting hundreds of millions of dollars to give the illusion we can control something that can never be won, like other nebulous threats we have a "war" on, while destroying low income communities.

[morefngdbs]

Dude .... you realise that marijuana is illegal because of the oil & paper industry made from trees right ?

Randolph Hearst had huge tracts of forest & wanted the paper making to be from wood. He used his newspapers & every opportunity & his wealth to get the Government to ban the killer weed.
As well as Dupont not wanting competition from cheaper hemp products

http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal /

heres a more legitimate site to keep the "its a blog or opinion & isn't any good as a source " to fuck off & shut up.
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-237709

[Feoric]

The reasons policy makers are against the legalization of marijuana now are different than the ones 80 years ago. The policy is the same, the reasons for supporting it change with time, as with anything. Gabriel Nahas and Robert DuPont aren't as relevant today as they were in their heyday, although they laid the groundwork for current policy and public opinion (which, by the way, is changing rapidly).

[CrazyKat]

At 10/1/12 08:11 PM, Iron-Hampster wrote: I know a common argument against this is that "but Iron-Hempster, you only want marijuana to be legal so that you can smoke it with out consequence." I'll admit to that. I do want Marijuana to be legal so I can make my own personal decision with out other people harassing me unlawfully.

But then there is Industrial hemp. It is where all the other uses come from. it has a very low THC content and is pretty much impossible to get high off of. While clothing made from this is not comfortable, it is incredibly cheap, and durable, perfect for people who are having a hard time getting by. In this current economy, there are lots of those people out there. I for one would also be using it not because I'm having a hard time paying the bills, but because as a welder, I destroy a lot of pants, and would like a cheaper alternative that lasts longer to wreck all the time. Then finally, because it makes paper, it means you don't have to cut down trees to produce paper anymore. That means either: A, you save trees, or B: you get to export more lumber. Win win.

So tell me, why shouldn't this be allowed? It is not a drug, and it is a massive economic opportunity that can't be underestimated.

If pot smokers spent even a fraction of the time designing weed that was not illegal according to its chemical makeup we wouldn't be having this conversation. Most other drugs with far less widespread use have a legal, designer alternative with the exception of marijuana. That's what you get from pot smokers, lots of talk and little action. Otherwise this ought to be a simple problem with a simple solution.

[Camarohusky]

At 10/1/12 08:25 PM, Feoric wrote: while destroying low income communities.

Pretty sure that the meth, weed, heroin, cocaine, and so on have destroyed more low income communities than the war on drugs could ever dream to.

[Iron-Hampster]

At 10/1/12 10:33 PM, CrazyKat wrote:
If pot smokers spent even a fraction of the time designing weed that was not illegal according to its chemical makeup we wouldn't be having this conversation. Most other drugs with far less widespread use have a legal, designer alternative with the exception of marijuana. That's what you get from pot smokers, lots of talk and little action. Otherwise this ought to be a simple problem with a simple solution.

Industrial hemp isn't made to get you high, nor can it. it is made to make money, like you know, BE PRODUCTIVE. Not all of it can be passed off as "hippy culture bs" either, there will be people out there who will create jobs with the savings that these products will generate. Yacht rope too expensive, use hemp rope, its stronger and cheaper. Plastic prices rising with the price of oil, use hemp plastic. There is even Hempcrete.

[Entice]

At 10/2/12 01:09 AM, Iron-Hampster wrote: Industrial hemp isn't made to get you high, nor can it. it is made to make money, like you know, BE PRODUCTIVE. Not all of it can be passed off as "hippy culture bs" either, there will be people out there who will create jobs with the savings that these products will generate. Yacht rope too expensive, use hemdp rope, its stronger and cheaper. Plastic prices rising with the price of oil, use hemp plastic. There is even Hempcrete.

With how fast it grows it's more environmentally friendly as well... less need for deforestation. It's also edible. Very useful crop.

It's only illegal because of its loose association with marijuana and because the industries that produce rope, paper, plastic, etc. don't (or didn't) want the competition.

[science-is-fun]

Why not make ganja muffins, smoking it is dumb and gives you lung cancer?

I know there is this obscure chemical in cannabis which supposedly suppresses tumor growth or something, but the risk increase of smoking cannabis or just breathing in smoke in general is definitely astronomical compared to the risk reduction of this chemical.

Also cannabis should still be treated like alcohol, it impairs your ability to function and excessive use can have long terms effects in adults or permanently change the way the brain develops in adolescents.

[orangebomb]

At 10/1/12 08:11 PM, Iron-Hampster wrote: So tell me, why shouldn't this be allowed? It is not a drug, and it is a massive economic opportunity that can't be underestimated.

The lobbyists of the timber, plastic and other such industries felt threaten by an easily grown product that could eventually replace them in just about every aspect in daily life, and when they figured out that it was taken from the marijuana plant, that game more than enough firepower to ban it altogether. Nowadays, because it's been linked with pot, it's still banned, but largely due to the anti-drug nuts who will do everything in their power to keep it banned.

At the end of the day though, pot will eventually be legalized for use for whatever reason, and some entrepreneurial person or company will figure out the many uses for hemp, and make bank with it.

[Iron-Hampster]

At 10/2/12 03:54 PM, science-is-fun wrote: Why not make ganja muffins, smoking it is dumb and gives you lung cancer?

I know there is this obscure chemical in cannabis which supposedly suppresses tumor growth or something, but the risk increase of smoking cannabis or just breathing in smoke in general is definitely astronomical compared to the risk reduction of this chemical.

Also cannabis should still be treated like alcohol, it impairs your ability to function and excessive use can have long terms effects in adults or permanently change the way the brain develops in adolescents.

The vaporizer is another way because it doesn't produce smoke, and it uses 90 something percent of the THC in the drug as opposed to less than 10 percent from a joint so its both way more clean and efficient. but were talking about Industrial hemp in this thread...

[leanlifter1]

All I know is that when I incorporate Hemp Oil into my diet I look, feel and am as healthy as can be. It's to dam bad that Hemp Oil costs an arm and a leg because it is so extreemly healthy a super food even.

[Ericho]

I don't think I've ever heard of industrial hemp before, but it's just another reason marijuana should be legalized. I recall the Penn and Teller "Bullshit" episode where they talked about that, and what got me hooked to that was that marijuana had never killed anyone before. It also has great medicinal use and other countries have legalized it and in places like the Netherlands, private use of it actually went DOWN after it was legalized. I heard it even has properties that can cure cancer.