Why is industrial hemp still illegal?

[gravenewworld]

I can not rationally explain to anyone outside of the US why hemp for industrial purposes is still illegal in the United States. Does it make sense to anyone on here?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I can not rationally explain to anyone outside of the US why hemp for industrial purposes is still illegal in the United States. Does it make sense to anyone on here?

Rope smokers. Need I say more?

Actually, I do see hemp products on the market. Is it only allowed for some products?

 

[Proton Soup]

you can buy and sell hemp products (it's even sold as food), but it's the growing that will get you in trouble. i remember a while back the Lakota were having a tough time with the US government because they were determined to grow it on tribal land.

my guess is that it complicates law enforcement control of marijuana farming.

 

[gravenewworld]

Rope smokers. Need I say more?

Actually, I do see hemp products on the market. Is it only allowed for some products?

The US imports every single hemp product on the market. It makes no sense. You need almost no pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to grow hemp.The stuff grows like wildfire and is very eco friendly unlike cotton. It can be used to make hundreds if not thousands of different products. They can smoke rope all they want, but the fact of the matter is it is pretty much 99.99% impossible to get high off of hemp.

 

[gravenewworld]

you can buy and sell hemp products (it's even sold as food), but it's the growing that will get you in trouble. i remember a while back the Lakota were having a tough time with the US government because they were determined to grow it on tribal land.

my guess is that it complicates law enforcement control of marijuana farming.

Exactly how? In other countries that grow hemp, law enforcement is able to differentiate. If you are trying to grow marijuana a hemp field is the last place your would try to hide your plant because the hemp pollen would contaminate your plant that you are growing for marijuana, thereby diluting its potency. You would simply ruin your marijuana plant.

 

[Pythagorean]

I would guess it goes back to the history of the criminalization of pot. Industrial competition led to some gross misrepresentations and society made up it's mind nearly a century ago.

 

[leroyjenkens]

They want to make stuff illegal that doesn't hurt anybody, but when some animal next door to me assaults me with music, then that's allowed. He can terrorize the old people in the neighborhood with his music and all the cops will do is say "will you stop if I say pretty please?", but if he has some marijuana, then they'll send in the police, FBI, CIA, national guard, and they'll get Will Smith to fly an alien spaceship into their house.

 

[NobodySpecial]

but if he has some marijuana,

Because drugs are bad - M'kay
Except Caffeine or course and tobacco (sort of)
And alcohol - if you are under 18 or 21 or 16 - then it's terrible - over that it's fine
And prozac/valium - that's OK

But anything else is bad - M'kay.

 

[ThomasT]

I can not rationally explain to anyone outside of the US why hemp for industrial purposes is still illegal in the United States. Does it make sense to anyone on here?

The rationale for its continued illegality might have to do with legislators' perception that the voting public is generally opposed to any form of pot plant legalization.

 

[turbo]

In fact, hemp was considered so vital to military interests (material for canvas, rigging, mooring ropes, etc) that farmers were required to grow it in the colonies. Hemp has a very low lignin content compared to wood, so that it can be separated into clean fiber with much less chemical Intervention than wood can, and the fibers last longer because they are not damaged by digesting chemicals to the extent that wood fibers are. There are all kinds of good reasons to bring back industrial hemp. It doesn't require intensive cultivation, and the fiber yield per acre is much higher than that of trees, which grow more slowly.

 

[loseyourname]

There is no rational reason.

 

[chiro]

There is no rational reason.

It does when the plant threatens a few billion dollar industries where hemp would provide a great alternative (in many ways including monetary, environmental etc).

 

[Evo]

There is no rational reason.

The lumber and flax growers would disagree. It seems hemp would cut into both of these businesses.

 

[Gokul43201]

The lumber and flax growers would disagree. It seems hemp would cut into both of these businesses.

Cutting into other businesses is an essential part of a market economy.

 

[gravenewworld]

The lumber and flax growers would disagree. It seems hemp would cut into both of these businesses.

This is the United States. If you're a Republican or a conservative, shouldn't you be about free market economics and as much competition as possible? So what would be wrong with legalizing hemp then? If you're a liberal, you should be all over hemp production because it is much better for the environment. This is an issue the whole political spectrum should be able to agree on, so how is it still illegal? It's ridiculous.

 

[Evo]

Cutting into other businesses is an essential part of a market economy.

I read this earlier today. Anyone interested should read it.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html

 

[turbo]

The lumber and flax growers would disagree. It seems hemp would cut into both of these businesses.

Hemp would not make a dent in the lumber industry, but it could easily have a short-term and continuing effect in the pulp-fiber industry (paper-making) since hemp grows much faster than trees do, and the fibers are broken down far more easily (less lignin to deal with). Flax and cotton industries would feel the pinch in a relatively short time because hemp fiber is very durable and workable. I could see entire segments of the textiles market (including those occupied by Carhart, Dickies, Levy-Strauss) falling to the hemp market very quickly, with clothing made of finer fabrics following soon after.

 

[Evo]

Hemp would not make a dent in the lumber industry, but it could easily have a short-term and continuing effect in the pulp-fiber industry (paper-making) since hemp grows much faster than trees do, and the fibers are broken down far more easily (less lignin to deal with). Flax and cotton industries would feel the pinch in a relatively short time because hemp fiber is very durable and workable. I could see entire segments of the textiles market (including those occupied by Carhart, Dickies, Levy-Strauss) falling to the hemp market very quickly, with clothing made of finer fabrics following soon after.

Actually hemp is not good for making paper. It's one of the few areas it would not do well in. It's explained in the papper I linked to.

 

[turbo]

Actually hemp is not good for making paper. It's one of the few areas it would not do well in. It's explained in the papper I linked to.

Not in newsprint or some other high-volume papers, perhaps, but in specialty papers that require high wet-strength in light, thin sheets. A small paper mill that I used to service in MA made such papers for cigarettes and bibles. I understand that storage is a problem because of the seasonal nature of the harvest, so high-volume applications would be problematic without additional infrastructure. Other mills in NH and MA made banknote paper, bond paper, and security paper, and those small-volume high-quality applications might be a good fit.

 

[NobodySpecial]

Other mills in NH and MA made banknote paper, bond paper, and security paper, and those small-volume high-quality applications might be a good fit.

Some of the first banknotes in europe by the bank of England were made from rag paper with hemp - cotton was in short supply due to some silly little argument with some colonists.

 

[turbo]

Some of the first banknotes in europe by the bank of England were made from rag paper with hemp - cotton was in short supply due to some silly little argument with some colonists.

Used woven hemp fabric was shredded and made into "rag paper" (really high-quality stuff!) until the Kraft and Sulfite digestion processes were developed to allow paper to be made economically from wood fiber.

 

[leroyjenkens]

So I can go to prison for growing hemp in my backyard, all because some companies don't want competition? Why is this tolerated?

 

[Upisoft]

Because drugs are bad - M'kay
Except Caffeine or course and tobacco (sort of)
And alcohol - if you are under 18 or 21 or 16 - then it's terrible - over that it's fine
And prozac/valium - that's OK

But anything else is bad - M'kay.

You forgot Theobromine. I'm addicted to chocolate.

 

[Upisoft]

So I can go to prison for growing hemp in my backyard, all because some companies don't want competition? Why is this tolerated?

Probably because all Cannabis plants contain THC.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Probably because all Cannabis plants contain THC.

Oakdale, CA: Scientists at Montsaint Genie Tech Inc. announced today that they have successfully transferred the gene segment that produces the psychotropic chemical THC in cannabis plants to many other common garden plants, including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, and more.

“We probably can put the THC segment into almost any plant in existence,” says lead scientist Rebeca Vale. “It’s a very simple process. We are starting work on oak and maple trees now.”

http://thecrit.com/2009/06/03/company-makes-any-plant-produce-thc-and-the-tomatoes-are-especially-yummy/

 

[turbo]

http://thecrit.com/2009/06/03/company-makes-any-plant-produce-thc-and-the-tomatoes-are-especially-yummy/

It would be funny, if it were true.

 

[Evo]

http://thecrit.com/2009/06/03/company-makes-any-plant-produce-thc-and-the-tomatoes-are-especially-yummy/

 

[dlgoff]

http://thecrit.com/2009/06/03/company-makes-any-plant-produce-thc-and-the-tomatoes-are-especially-yummy/

Can you somehow tie this into algae?

 

[NobodySpecial]

Can you somehow tie this into algae?

Presumably if you got the munchies - even the algae starts to look good.
This could be a whole new breakthrough in getting children to each vegetables.
Munchie inducing brocolli with THC ?

 

[Upisoft]

Regarding the latest news I think that "How does your Garden grow?" thread should be immediately closed!11!1!

 

[dlgoff]

Regarding the latest news I think that "How does your Garden grow?" thread should be immediately closed!11!1!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It would be funny, if it were true.

Ding ding ding ding ding!

 

[lewdtenant]

A better question would be "How do we persuade the legislature to decriminalize the cultivation of industrial hemp?"

I propose that we start a grassroots movement.

Educate the masses!

 

[Hepth]

Just dump some money into breeding thc free hemp and there should be no problem. The "well it still looks like weed" argument for a law would perhaps falter. Perhaps.

 

[Moonbear]

Let's face it, there's not really any free market in the US anymore. It has become all about which industry can best lobby congress to protect their interests. If you could convince cotton farmers that they could make a better profit off hemp grown on their same land, it would probably be legalized in a heartbeat.

Political decisions are rarely based on fact, they are based on perception.