Blog: Wake up and Smell the Hemp

Currently, Eagle Rock is in the middle of a very contentious debate over medical marijuana clinics. However you may feel about whether they should go or stay, the fact about Hemp remains the same: It is an agricultural gold mine waiting to be tapped.

Hemp is the agricultural fiber taken from the cannabis plant. It is different from the flower that is used for recreational or spiritual purposes. It cannot get you high. I won't even get you a small "buzz." The most you can get from smoking Hemp is a headache—from the smoke.

In 1942, The United States Department of Agriculture released an informational film titled Hemp for Victory. Its purpose was to encourage farmers to grow more Hemp; and for very good reason. Hemp was applied in many ways during World War II. It was used for items like twine, rope, uniforms, fire hoses, and parachutes.

Now, why would The United States military use Hemp when cotton was available? Wow! That's a great question!

It is a fact that Hemp is more versatile than cotton. While cotton is a fine product, it yields about half the finished textile per acre. Plus, it requires little to no pesticides or chemicals as cotton does.

According to HempFarm.org, Hemp is four times warmer than cotton and has three times the tensile strength of cotton. It is also many times more durable and is flame retardant.

Cotton plants need about 50 percent more water per season than hemp and about 400-percent more water to actually process into textile. This fact is supported by the USDA's Bulletin 404. This is good news for any desert, such as California.

California can also use the funds that can stem from Hemp. Currently, we are able to import any product made from Hemp. The Body Shop currently has a Hemp line which includes moisturizer, hand lotion, lip balm, and many others. This is nowhere being a unique situation. Hemp products can be found at more and more locations daily.

Sadly, Hemp’s restrictions disallow local farmers to grow this fiber. Thereby, allowing all agricultural Hemp profits to be exported. With local Hemp growers, the price of beneficial Hemp products would drop and our local farmers could keep the profits here, in our Nation; where it is so desperately needed.

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 So, the USDA and the Department of Agriculture support Hemp. Those are just two small branches. The Executive Branch knows what's best, right? Wrong.

Hemp has notably been championed by two great American founders. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both, grew Hemp. In fact, the Declaration of Independence and the very Constitution of the United States were drafted on Hemp paper. This is to be expected from a couple of Hemp farmers. Yes, our nation's first president was a Hemp farmer.

Now, this is not only about ancient history. On June 7, Oregon Senator Wyden introduced an amendment to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 (S.3240).

Other U.S. branches have also come out in support of Hemp. Sadly, they are ignored due to the fear campaign and disinformation that has been perpetuated by the executive branch. President Nixon's very own Shafer commission proved that Cannabis and Hemp were benign. He ignored it. Instead, in 1974, Nixon commissioned the now-debunked rhesus monkey test. Monkeys were suffocated with smoky gas masks, resulting in damage to the brain cells. This result was falsely attributed to Cannabis itself and all other tests were steamrolled. These false claims made it into our society and worked to scare folks into full prohibition. Nixon's horrific War on Drugs was underway. This paves the way for the complete illegalization of agricultural Hemp.

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In addition, Hemp is not just used for aforementioned items. There is an extraordinary amout of other uses. Here is a short list of some examples:

• Oil
• Fuel
• Food
• Fiber
• Plasti
• Clothing
• Concrete
• Medicine
• Varnishes
• Animal Feed
• And the ever-popular, Paper

Regarding Paper, Hemp is not only renewable. It is sustainable. That means you can sow it as fast as you can harvest it. More directly, Hemp greatly reduces deforestation. Now why doesn't that get the press coverage it deserves?

Another item that could be placed in the spotlight would be the seed's nutritional value. Hemp seeds are chock-full of amino acids, fatty acids, dietary fiber, magnesium, zinc, potassium. It also provides Omega 3's. Many vegetarians will understand why this is significant.

You may also want to take a moment to look into Henry Ford’s "Hemp Car," made of Hemp and running on Hemp fuel.

In conclusion, if Hemp exhibits none of the properties feared by prohibitionists and has overwhelmingly been proven by our own Federal Government to be a beneficial plant, why is it still illegal? Ask your congressman.

I will leave you with a wonderful quote from the late Carl Sagan. It’s more to do with Cannabis than Hemp.

However, I admire its candor:

The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world.

Much Love, my Friends.