Hemp? The most valuable plant is illegal in America

[Lonewulf]

I don't smoke marijuana. I might someday, if just so Reefer Madness would be even more cool to watch (the musical parody, not the original... though that might be fun too!)

I don't smoke tobacco, I don't get drunk, and I avoid abusing drugs in general.

Yet, I want to legalize marijuana. Why? Because, quite frankly, the major strain on prisons today have to do with such minor offenses as, say, simply possessing or ingesting drugs like marijuana, while alcohol is treated with a pat on the wrist if one isn't driving while intoxicated. There are several other arguments, including the economics of a few agricultural-based states. Further, the hypocrisy of not outlawing alcohol. Plus, a total lack of evidence, outside of very loose correlation, that marijuana is a "gateway drug" (one of the most used attacks on it).

(This already counters such interesting claims that I've seen from others that, say, those that want to legalize marijuana are "just looking for an excuse to smoke").

 

[fls]

Of course, all the canvas was made from it, rope, and the strongest, most durable clothing, even the finest lace.

As a weaver and spinner and amateur archaeologist, the fibre claims for hemp always bug me.

Hemp has been used for fibre for thousands of years - maybe as early as 5000 BCE starting in northeast Asia. Yet its use was supplanted when other fibres became available, in particular flax, silk, cotton and wool. Why? Because it wasn't as nice or useful as these other fibres when it came to clothing. It is a strong fibre, in particular it is strong when wet, which makes it a good choice for rope. But otherwise, its use dropped off long before a conspiracy was mounted against it simply because other fibres have better properties when it comes to fabric, clothing or fine lace.

Linda

 

[Lonewulf]

I know I'm citing Wikipedia, and some consider that a no-no, but the wiki article seems to be overall positive on the subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#Uses

It certainly seems useful to me, although the entry under "medicine" is woefully absent, although diverts to medicinal cannabis.

The article under medicinal cannabis, seems to suggest that cannabis was used as a medicine throughout the world for a very long time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_cannabis#History

According to a survey on the recommendation of cannabis in California,[36] cannabis is indicated for over 250 conditions.

Indication Benefit
Arthritis: Analgesic, antiinflammatory

Asthma: Opens up airways in lungs

Depression: Brightens mood

Glaucoma: Reduces eye pressure

Pain: Non-opiate, non-addictive pain killer

I dunno, it seems to suggest that there's something here. Maybe it's not that incredible; maybe these people making the articles are incredibly biased people that just want the ability to smoke weed. I dunno.

(The cite for the bit on medicinal purposes of cannabis leads to here: http://www.canorml.org/prop/MMJIndications.htm)

 

[kookbreaker]

Come on Lonewulf. You've seen the antics of alt-med types when they decide some herb or another is the latest thing and soon its list of 'things herb x treats' grows exponentially. This is pretty much the same thing.

 

[Axiom_Blade]

Poor choice of words on my part, but the basis remains. Cannabis strains cultivated for any industry could not be distinguished from those used for the drug of the same name. That is why the entire family was banned, not for any real fear of it being competitive with other industrial sources.

No. Hemp plants are related, but different from, cannabis plants. You could smoke hemp all day, and you wouldn't get high.

So, legalizing hemp would not automatically legalize cannabis.

 

[kookbreaker]

No. Hemp plants are related, but different from, cannabis plants. You could smoke hemp all day, and you wouldn't get high.

So, legalizing hemp would not automatically legalize cannabis.

Except that, as I stated, they are too hard to distinguish from each other.

Hell, Canadian farmers growing hemp have to give their boards of agriculture the GPS co-ordinates of the fields hemp is being grown in order to avoid confusion with potential pot farms.

 

[Axiom_Blade]

Come on Lonewulf. You've seen the antics of alt-med types when they decide some herb or another is the latest thing and soon its list of 'things herb x treats' grows exponentially. This is pretty much the same thing.

I would think its effectiveness as an analgesic and mood brightener, at least, would be obvious.

 

[Lonewulf]

Come on Lonewulf. You've seen the antics of alt-med types when they decide some herb or another is the latest thing and soon its list of 'things herb x treats' grows exponentially. This is pretty much the same thing.

The treatments that were listed seemed perfectly logical to me. It certainly doesn't cure cancer or do anything extraordinary, but it works well at alleviating certain symptoms.

Personally, I think that there are far too many treatments for things like depression and the like, that come with so many side effects or have the chance of not working in certain patients (as well as causing them to build up a resistance), that the more treatments we have, the better, and I'm not convinced that cannabis has enough detrimental side effects to be considered worse than some prescription and even over-the-counter medication we use today.

Except that, as I stated, they are too hard to distinguish from each other.

Hell, Canadian farmers growing hemp have to give their boards of agriculture the GPS co-ordinates of the fields hemp is being grown in order to avoid confusion with potential pot farms.

That's an argument for greater precautions, not an argument for banning its use or growth entirely.


Though I'm still for the legalization of marijuana in general, so for me at least, the point is moot.

 

[kookbreaker]

The treatments that were listed seemed perfectly logical to me. It certainly doesn't cure cancer or do anything extraordinary, but it works well at alleviating certain symptoms.

Granted, although when I look at lists and see something you smoke as a treatment for asthma I have to raise an eyebrow. Sounds too much like doctors in 50's cigarette ads telling your to smoke for lung's benefit.

That's an argument for greater precautions, not an argument for banning its use or growth entirely.

I'm not claiming it is an arguement for banning, merely point out that hemp got swept up because it was too close in appearance.

Though I'm still for the legalization of marijuana in general.

I don't really care either way, but the lies and paranoid conspiracy mongering annoy me. As does the mistruths about hemp's industrial potential. I'm a little concerned that some overenthusiastic hemp advocates might lead some farmers to grow crops there isn't enough demand for.

I do have to say for my friends with pet birds that it would be nice for them to have hemp seeds back in standard bird seed.

 

[Lonewulf]

Granted, although when I look at lists and see something you smoke as a treatment for asthma I have to raise an eyebrow. Sounds too much like doctors in 50's cigarette ads telling your to smoke for lung's benefit.

Er?

There's other ways to ingest cannabis besides through smoking it.

I'm not claiming it is an arguement for banning, merely point out that hemp got swept up because it was too close in appearance.

Okay.

I don't really care either way, but the lies and paranoid conspiracy mongering annoy me. As does the mistruths about hemp's industrial potential. I'm a little concerned that some overenthusiastic hemp advocates might lead some farmers to grow crops there isn't enough demand for.

I understand that.

But hemp does have a lot of uses. If it didn't have any industrial potential, it wouldn't be used at all.

I do have to say for my friends with pet birds that it would be nice for them to have hemp seeds back in standard bird seed.

Hemp seeds are also healthy for human consumption, and are quite nutritious, as the link I gave claimed.

If there's an overproduction of hemp, then it would lower the costs of some health foods based on hemp, I'd think. That is, assuming the U.S. government doesn't try to subsidize them.

As for paranoia about some conspiracy theory.... well... I dunno about that. I do know that there was a lot of misinformation going around, and I wouldn't be surprised if there still is.

I mean, just think. Reefer Madness was made as a docudrama! Marijuana is worse than cocaine or heroin!

 

[kookbreaker]

I understand that.

But hemp does have a lot of uses. If it didn't have any industrial potential, it wouldn't be used at all.

That does not mean it is the best in all fields as its advocates would have you believe. In fact in most of the fields where it its praises are sung it is usually, at best , a distant second.

Hemp seeds are also healthy for human consumption, and are quite nutritious, as the link I gave claimed.

If there's an overproduction of hemp, then it would lower the costs of some health foods based on hemp, I'd think. That is, assuming the U.S. government doesn't try to subsidize them.

I have my doubts there is that much demand. Just because someone lowers the price on a piece of junk by 50% does not mean demand

As for paranoia about some conspiracy theory.... well... I dunno about that. I do know that there was a lot of misinformation going around, and I wouldn't be surprised if there still is.

Read the OP, that's pure paranoia and conspiracy mongering. Along with way too much misinformation and arrogance.

I mean, just think. Reefer Madness was made as a docudrama! Marijuana is worse than cocaine or heroin!

I'm not saying the 'pro-ban' crowd wasn't full of crap, I'm just saying fighting lies with even more lies isn't going to win anyone over.

 

[BenBurch]

Well, wonder drug, no.

Really great crop to make paper and durable fabric and the equivalent of particle board while also getting a minor oil crop and animal feed as a byproduct? Yes. That it is.

And there is no rational basis to ban it whatsoever.

And I emphasize "minor" because some real idiots are selling it as a total replacement for all diesel fuel used today, which it NEVER will be.

 

[Childlike Empress]

No. Hemp plants are related, but different from, cannabis plants. You could smoke hemp all day, and you wouldn't get high.

So, legalizing hemp would not automatically legalize cannabis.

BS. Hemp is the plant Cannabis. What you mean is that the Cannabis sativa used for fibre production etc. produces nearly no THC, but that's a cultivation thing. The plant is always Cannabis. Legalizing Hemp would therefore automatically legalize Cannabis, although one can of course only allow cultivations with minimal THC-level, as it is done in Germany, fe. That leads to buerocracy and very expensive seeds, hence no breakthrough.

 

[kookbreaker]

Really great crop to make paper and durable fabric and the equivalent of particle board while also getting a minor oil crop and animal feed as a byproduct? Yes. That it is.

I still have strong doubts about using Hemp for making paper. The paper made with it in the past was unimpressive, and for all the attention it gets the modern hemp paper isn't worth a damn either. If hemp is made into paper it would be the scrap 'packing paper' stuff. I also worry about production of this new line as it effectively resets years of paper-making technology, which includes pollution controls.

 

[Praktik]

Granted, although when I look at lists and see something you smoke as a treatment for asthma I have to raise an eyebrow. Sounds too much like doctors in 50's cigarette ads telling your to smoke for lung's benefit

Ya it does seem counterintuitive doesn't it? But actually if you smoke pure pot (ie, dont mix tobacco in), then it has a "bronchiodilation" effect - effectively opening up the lungs. I noticed that if I was congested during a cold and coughing, that marijuana would provide some temporary coughing relief as my lungs opened up a bit. THough later on it seemed like the coughing would resume at a slightly higher frequency.

So I don't smoke much when I'm sick but sometimes I've found it helped. THere are reports of it helping individuals in an asthma attack where it has a similar effect to those breathing meds they take in puffers if they are not at hand for delivery. So if you got a jay on you and someone starts an attack - do him a favour and pass it along. I will add that once I was being tested with a stethoscope while I breathed deeply, and my doc asked if I was a smoker: I had been quit tobacco for some years and only smoked weed (albeit, daily). So there was the same kind of rigidity in my lungs that tobacco smokers get, likely from tar. Obviously there are things to worry about when smoking anything..

Here's some more research on it.

 

[dudalb]

I think Pot should be legalized, but I am not convinced that Hemp is going to be any kind of a great economic boon.

 

[Lonewulf]

I doubt it'll hurt, either.

 

[kookbreaker]

I doubt it'll hurt, either.

I doubt it would hurt either, the only way it would hurt is if the advocates so excessively promote its features that some people overcommit to its production and/or development.

I wouldn't even mention it as a detriment if it were not for the advocates trying to push so hard down that very path.

 

[tyr_13]

Why why why can't the pro-marijuana movement just come out and say:

"I enjoy smoking weed. It's harmless. It should be legal. I want it legalized so that I and others can continue to smoke and enjoy it."


I'll agree with them. What do I care?

But this is so freaking annoying the way they try this back door argument about paper and conspiracies and cancer and on and on and on. That kind of dishonesty just completely kills any sympathy I have for your cause.

This used to drive me nuts in college, legalizing "hemp" was the only issue I saw a lot of my friends get really passionate about. Yeah, you draw marijuana leafs on all your notebooks because you care about the paper industry. Riiiiiight...

Oh, and nice dreadlocks.

Ditto. Whenever someone starts talking about the 'wonders of hemp' I just roll my eyes because they never actually know anything about it. Mulberry is better in almost every way. Damn, hemp isn't that great and really, doesn't have much to do with weed anyway.

 

[angelsaramark]

Finally!

How can you be so sure about the effects of hemp oil on the immune system? Where is your evidence of this? Just admit it, you're guessing. You don't really have a clue do you?

You probably believe radiation and chemotherapy are the best cancer treatments available, don't you? Of course you do. Our medical establishment is absolutely squeaky clean, isn't it? The lust for billions in profits has absolutely nothing to do with the marijuana question, right? Can you say naive?

Who shapes, fashions, and creates the mass attitude about virtually everything?
Read up on the Tavistock Institute and Operation Mockingbird. Your naivety is the result of such sophisticated programming.

The Golden Rule? He who has the most gold rules. You naive girls need to awaken to this reality. This is REAL. You are so easily controlled.

Finally some logic on this forum! Carryon good Sir/Madam!