It is time we sought to legalize industrial hemp in the state of Alabama. Forget corn for ethanol. It takes more energy to make it than folks get out of it. Using corn has negatively affected the food supply worldwide. I don't know much about sugar cane ethanol or switch grass ethanol....but I do know a bit about industrial hemp and the biodiesel that can be made from it that will run our automobiles pollution free. It is a wonderful, renewable, eco-friendly source of energy that most states in the US are prevented from utilizing because of the stupid, retarded, unwinnable drug war. See, hemp is a first cousin to marijuana except it only has trace amounts of THC. Less than 1%.
From hemp you can make food. The seeds are high in amino 3 fatty acids. They even have more than fish. Aminos are very important to health. They also taste great. A little like pecans. You can make fuel to run your car from the seeds. From an acre of hemp you get four times as much fiber than from an acre of trees so our paper could come from there as well. It is ready in about four months whereas trees take many years to grow and mature. Unlike trees, which deplete the nutrients in the soil, hemp replaces them. From these fibers we can also make clothing which is more durable than cotton and does not require the pesticides that cotton does. Rope is also made from hemp. In fact, there are over 25,000 known uses for this extraordinary plant.
Here is a little history on the use of hemp in the US in the past. This film was put out by the US Government in 1942.
There is absolutely no reason why it should be illegal today. That any natural plant is declared illegal is inexplicable to me. That one with so much excellent potential to help American's through this crisis is illegal is beyond insane.
I am about to start looking for a legislator who is willing to entertain the idea and maybe even sponsor a bill next year. Vermont just passed a hemp bill, why can't we? Anyone care to help with this project?
To find out more about hemp and all of its wonderful uses go here.
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Is it illegal to grow hemp in Alabama because of a state law or because of a federal law? If it’s illegal only because of a state law once enough of our legislators are educated properly getting it made legal may be a possibility.
Both state and federal law prohibit it's cultivation. However, many states are giving the feds the finger on this one and passing laws that make it legal within the state.
American farmers are truly missing out. Everything made from hemp in the US is imported from another country. Canada grows it legally and there is a huge market for all things hemp. Check out the link to the website in the post. It has everything you ever wanted to know about hemp there.
Just a small point -- biodiesel is not pollution free. It's much better than gasoline for many reasons (increased gas mileage, increased power from combustion, drastically reduced CO2 emmisions), but it still pollutes. :P
But, then again, choosing the lesser of two evils is something we excel at, isn't it?
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