Hemp helps

Hemp, even the none psychoactive kind, is a great cash crop. Just ask George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, both of whom grew it on their farms. Unfortunately, for modern American farmers it has been illegal since 1970, treated as equivalent to cannabis because of the tiny amount of THC that it possesses. The concentrations are far too small to give you anything but a headache if you smoked it but thanks to the irrational DEA‘s zero tolerance policy, you can’t get any of the other benefits either. And there plenty. Hemp is a very versatile plant that is easy to grow and can be converted into rope, fabric, paper, animal feed, vegetable oil, soap and even building materials.

Now, there is a growing movement to let modern farmers have the same opportunities that was available to the founding fathers. Kentucky is latest state to try and introduce a hemp farming legislation:

A bill to allow farmers to register to grow industrial hemp in Kentucky was filed Thursday. House Bill 286 has 12 co-sponsors.

The bill would create a process through which farmers could apply to grow hemp and then be vetted by state officials. If applicants passed a background check, they would pay a fee to be registered to grow hemp.

Hemp production is prohibited under federal law (unless the DEA authorizes a permit, which it doesn’t), and the bill acknowledges as much, saying “nothing in [this bill] shall be construed to authorize any person to violate any federal rules or regulations.”

via Hemp Farming Bill Filed in Kentucky | StoptheDrugWar.org.

The DEA will oppose this all the way and maybe they’re right after their own ridiculous fashion. With hemp farms everywhere it will become increasingly difficult to spot an illegal weed field. And once a hemp farming industry is established, there will undoubtedly be a powerful new lobby for the legalisation of marijuana, because who would benefit more from a legal trade in cannabis than farmers already set up to grow it in industrial quantities. Any farmers with any eye to the future would be well advised to get into hemp early. Imagine that you are a hemp farmer and marijuana gets legalised, you would be very well positioned. In fact, I dare say you’d be a very active campaigner for legalisation.

For all the same reasons, I think it is imperative for pro-legalisation campaigners to give their stealth support to any Hemp bills that come their way. It’s playing the long game but it’s an easier win, brings legalisation closer and it expands the range of your allies. Besides, farmers know a thing or too about lobbying and politicians understand commercial arguments.