Legalize Hemp!

Why is it that each day on earth we find ourselves short of cash or dieing from smog inhalation? Money, trees, breathable air, and a well needed rescue of mother Earth can all be achieved in one simple, rational plan of attack. This plan would be to cultivate and sell the once profitable and useful plant hemp. America's most profitable cash crop should be legalized for environmental recuperation. These reasons include its prevention of global warming, it stopping deforestation, and its use as an alternative fuel source.

The theory of global warming has proven facts to become a full fledged scientific function. Extensive research from government agencies has shows the burning of fossil fuels and large release of carbon into the atmosphere has caused what is known as the greenhouse effect. This occurs when large amounts of greenhouse gases are in a given environment in which creates a warmer climate by these gases trapping the sun's energy. This burning of fossils expels up to 12 times as much carbon as the burning of hemp.

This is due to fossil's high collection of carbon under high compression for long periods of time. Hemp only gives off the carbon it took in while breathing. Since the legalization of this plant can be used for a multitude of purposes other than burning, it would actually lower carbon levels in the air. Marc Deeley shows records of government meetings and documents relating to the legalization of the hemp plant and stated:

"It is argued that the unique physiological and chemical characteristics of Cannabis make it ideally suited for such applications within the overall objective of climate change mitigation by addressing directly our industrial reliance on fossil fuels and several of the key land-use/management and consumption related causes of climate change. It is concluded that Cannabis cultivation and the industrial utilization of this crop would be environmentally and economically beneficial as a method of addressing the problem of global climate change." (Deeley 1)

But what if American influence powered by greed and oil interests denies the use of alternative fuels and production of certain goods? As of today, ice mass located on the poles of the Earth is rapidly decreasing. Much like a glass of water filled with melting ice, the Earth's oceans are soon to spill over all over the counter. Not literally, but much of all Florida will be submerged in the Atlantic Ocean as will a large portion of Europe. In fact coastlines all around the world would seem to shrink in size. Speaking of the international affect of global warming, "Ecology" state the facts, "An increase of plant growth both domestically and abroad would lower the CO2 levels in our atmosphere, and promote a healthy environment. Growing Cannabis for other goods (like fibers) would further decrease our excess CO2 burden." (Ecology 2).

This causes a large financial impact to thousands of travel destinations and shut down flood insurance companies upon other indirected results. However in the day of our forefathers, hemp was the used to make an estimated 80% of books and fabrics as well as grown freely by a large amount of Americans including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson harvested hemp for resources. Benjamin Franklin incorporated their harvest by having a mill that created paper out of hemp. Even the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.

Paper is used in nearly ever aspect of our everyday lives but no one really stops to realized how many people are using paper for its extremely wide variety of uses and where trees stand in the delicate chain of the oxygen cycle. Every year the ratio of trees being planted and how many adult trees are cut down never seems to be in the favor of trees being planted. Hemp would be a much reasonable solution to this economic problem. According to Herer, "75 to 90% of all paper used from at least 100 AD to 1883 was made of CANNABIS/HEMP. Books, (including Bibles), money and newspapers all over the world have been mainly printed on CANNABIS/HEMP for as long as these things have existed in human history." (Herer 6).

Hemp is actually cheaper to harvest than logging trees. However, some speculate that the amount of hemp needed would be millions of acres however its soil enriching roots could be planted in farming areas where government money is paid to not grow any crops. This defense for deforestation is much overshadowed by hemp's durability. "Hemp paper can be recycled seven times, as opposed to 3 times for wood-pulp paper." (Hemp 7). This means every time a harvest would theoretically be needed, as recycling is no longer able, more trees would be needed sooner. Why not change? DuPont, a leading manufacturer of wood and synthetic products, knows it would ruin their multi-million dollar operation. It was able to influence congress in banning marijuana and hemp by showing the 'evil' effects from using marijuana as a recreational drug.

The two plants are from the same species of plant, however the active alkaloid for drug use, THC, is found in concentration of less than 1%. To put this in perspective with extremely potent controlled substances, Marijuana would contain around 20% concentration. If a user of marijuana were to try to smoke hemp, they would find it unpleasing with no psychological difference. Feeding their vehicle would be less expensive for them as well. Biofuels are crops that are turned into combustible alcohol through fermentation. Concepts of using corn for this are in place now with E85 gas available at many pumps but hemp is not available for use in these applications even though it is more efficient in making these fuels. In fact first diesel engines were designed with hemp in mind according to Global Hemp saying, "Rudolph Diesel designed his namesake engine to run on vegetable oils, including hempseed oil."(Industrial 2).

Legalizing hemp would have a worldwide effect on many political affairs. It would bring our economy out of recession, balance our gross domestic profit of imports and exports, and end our dependency of foreign crude oil. Oil is going to be in higher demand by the rapid growing Chinese and Russian economies. America is a land full of agricultural roots. As stated before, farmers get government funds to not grow crops. Heaney explains the importance of this in greater detail in this statement:

"How much hemp is necessary to meet current US energy needs? Somewhere between 10 million and 90 million acres, depending on how efficient the production is. Every year, the US government pays farmers (in cash or "kind") to *not* farm what they call the "soil bank", which happens to be about 90 million acres of farmland. The math is pretty simple.

Hemp seed oil is very similar to petroleum diesel fuel, and produces full engine power with reduced carbon monoxide and 75% less soot and particulates. Hemp stalk (different than the part that can make paper and textiles) can be converted into 500 gallons of methanol/acre." (Heaney 2)

So hemp burns cleaner and would save our country billions of dollars yet no attempts are made by our government to legalize this resource that was banned long ago for similar reasons. Exxon, a global oil corporation, funded a majority of George W. Bush's reelection. Obviously even this animal won't bite the hand it feeds.

Hemp should be legalized for its prevention of global warming, it stopping deforestation, and its use as an alternative fuel source. So as we spiral into yet another depression filled with five dollar per gallon gas prices and sixty degree winters in Ohio, ask yourself what can hemp do for me? Chances are it can cover most all of your survival needs. Even remote areas of the world are in danger for the rest of the world's carelessness and stupidity of not legalizing hemp.

Works Cited

Deeley, Marc R. "Can Hemp Provide an Answer to Climate Change?". 1995-2005. 14 Dec. 2006. http://www.hempworld.com/Hemp-CyberFarm_com/htms/articles/hemp_climate_change.html>

"Ecology". Hemp Evolution. 2001. 14 Dec. 2006. http://www.hempevolution.org/ecology/ecology.htm>

Heaney, Paula E. "Hemp and the Environment". The Thistle. Volume 13, Number 2: Sept./Oct., 2000. 14 Dec. 2006. http://web.mit.edu/thistle/www/v13/2/enviro.html>

"Hemp Environmental Benefits Room". USA Hemp Museum. 2003. 14 Dec. 2006. http://www.hempmuseum.org/ROOMS/ARM%20ENVIRONMENT.htm>

Herer, Jack. Home page. 2006. 14 Dec. 2006. http://www.jackherer.com/>

"Industrial Hemp Facts". Global Hemp. 1996-2006. 14 Dec. 2006. http://www.globalhemp.com/Archives/FAQ/industrial_hemp_facts.html>