America Powered by Hemp!

I haven’t made many posts addressing the legal cultivation of industrial hemp, but looking at my blog you can probably guess why. I’ve put it on the back burner only occasionally bringing up the subject when it tied into marijuana, and now I’d like to bring the subject back into the spotlight. Industrial hemp is an incredible opportunity for this country; however it has been unfairly stigmatized with mostly anecdotal evidence. Yes, the plant is part of the cannabis family but really that’s the only problem the prohibitionists address when speaking of it. The conversation usually starts with this argument then somehow mutates into a marijuana and illicit drug discussion. It usually starts like this “Hemp should not be cultivated in America because it is part of the cannabis family like marijuana and, as we all know, marijuana is a gateway drug and leads to harder drugs like heroin.” So the conversation started with hemp and ended with heroin. Why is this? There isn’t a lot of drug abuse statistics concerning hemp for one. Even with marijuana there are all sorts of theories and statistics that prohibitionists love to quote and exploit, however hemp isn’t associated with drug use. Think about it, when was the last time you heard of a massive hemp bust anywhere in the country? Or the last time you or anyone you knew scored hemp off of a drug dealer. No one smokes hemp! The reason is that you can’t get high off it. Drug users know this and drug dealers know this. You are more likely to die of smoke inhalation before feeling any effects from hemp. There is no one in any rehab facility for hemp addiction. Likewise no one has died because of a hemp overdose. People don’t smoke it, dealers don’t sell it, no one kills for it yet the government will arrest you for it. The cannabis family gets a bad rap but if it wasn’t for this family of plants we wouldn’t have any beer to drink. That’s right, the hops that are thrown into the brews that we drink are also part of the cannabis family, and what’s more is that we are actually consuming it legally with every sip. Yet we can’t grow hemp to make paper or rope because of a belief that the American population will be strung out on it. As absurd as this sounds I haven’t heard of another argument why we shouldn’t grow this crop. One negative stigma is all that keeps this plant from being grown on American soil. America uses hemp in everyday items and the government buys it from other countries like Canada and China. God forbid we start growing it for ourselves! The stigma surrounding hemp is so stifling that it keeps us away from economic growth. A more prosperous America is achievable but because of our fear and misunderstanding of marijuana we keep our potential wealth locked away. What sense does this make? Did we become a world super power out of fear and anecdotal theories? It’s hurtful to see this country keep itself from greatness and it is shameful when hearing the ridiculous logic as to why. Will we let our fears overpower our logic and knowledge? We don’t have to.