USA: Hemp History Week, Saving Plant and Planet
The variety of appearances for cannabis. Only C. sativa (left) is suited for industrial hemp, but it also has medicinal varieties.
In tough economic times, why would anyone ban industrial farming of a highly profitable and useful plant that requires almost no pesticides and can be used to make textiles, food, animal fodder, and alternatives to petroleum, cotton, and pulp wood?
When the plant is called “hemp” (Cannabis genus) the reason it is illegal in the United States has all to do with politics. Some strains of the plant can be used to produce marijuana, a mild but mostly illegal drug that most politicians are eager to distance themselves from.
Hemp History Week from May 17-23, 2010, is an event by the Hemp Industries Association and Vote Hemp to highlight the many benefits of legalizing hemp production in the United States. Growing hemp is legal in many countries, and was also previously legal in the United States.
The whole initiative is taking full advantage of online tools and social media to push to remove barriers to industrial hemp farming in the U.S. through education, legislation and advocacy. Only 16 States have passed pro-hemp farming legislation so far. Hemp History Week is asking supporters to sign and send postcards urging President Obama and Attorney General Holder to change federal policy, and supporters are so far planing to host nearly 200 local events nationwide.
This video from their YouTube channel includes interviews with renowned figures (such as Dr. Andrew Weil) who make the case for a growing market for industrial hemp products:
Here is just one image from the many pictures submitted for the “You + Historical Site” award:
Hemptress Handbags: Earthday 2010. Submitted by Arlene Nilsson
On Facebook, the Hemp History Week page now has over 1,000 fans, while about 6,500 people “like” the related VoteHemp page. Along with a variety of comments and suggestions, people are sharing useful tips, like:
Looking for lunch? Stop by and sample hemp foods at New Seasons Market's at Orenco station in honor of Hemp History Week from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Many citizens are blogging and tweeting about the event, also sharing little known facts about hemp local history. Outta the way blog says:
In the state of Pennsylvania, particularly the farming communities of York and Lancaster counties hemp was very big business. Due to their proximity to the Susquehanna river these two counties became the epicenter for hemp growing in Pennsylvania. Every township in Lancaster grew hemp, particularly Hempfield Township. Between 1720 and 1870 there were more than 100 mills in Lancaster county that processed hemp fiber. That fiber was used to help cover many Conestoga wagons, which were built in the small town of Conestoga, Pennsylvania.
In case you didn't know, according to Hemp History Week, “George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Henry Ford and many other notable Americans were actively engaged in, and openly advocated for, the commercial hemp industry”, while Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in his Monticello resort”. If all the buzz is not enough to convince you of the thousands of planet-friendly uses of hemp, there are even plenty of resources and suggestions for taking action online to support hemp-growing worldwide.
2 comments
This spill in the Gulf is a wake up call that cannot be ignored.Ford’s Hemp Car of 1941 can be seen on google video,that was built of,and ran on hemp.
The diesel engine was invented to run on agricultural waste and seed oils as we all know.Rudolph Diesel died mysteriously after France and England outfitted 2 ships with the engines.The Queen of the Netherlands,and the Queen of England are benefactors of petrodeath filling the Gulf and now the oceans killing innocent and sea life necessary to the balance of the planet.
There is only one reason that Industrial hemp is not allowed to be used and that is to keep the negligent oil companies,and their carcinogenic death fuels in use.Petrodeath carcinogenic oil is a 20th century fuel that should have been eliminated as a source of energy the moment Diesel invented his engine.It took 14 years to reconfigure the diesel engine to run on Carcinogenic petrodeath products.
There is an area the size of Texas made of garbage plastic hydrocarbon where the ocean currents gather.Animals are trying to eat that permanent garbage and getting sick.Industrial hemp is biodegradable and non toxic.Enough is enough begging to grow industrial hemp.This latest disaster in the Gulf should be the last straw.Who knows if we will ever be able to clean it up. They are still drilling for this poison on other rigs.Why? Shame on us for letting this go on so long.The reason hemp is illegal is because it looks like the evil weed marijuana? That’s it !Industrial hemp acts as a fertilizer when used as a fuel.No animals(people either) die! Amazing huh? There is a new book out The Rise and Fall of Prohibition (alcohol) and Why it Had to End.
It had to end because it corrupted every level of government.
That was only 14 years….
At the end of it all they said “For 14 Years The Insanity Went On” .
Well,it’s a lot longer than 14 years hemp has been banned in favor of this hellish carcinogen that causes death in more ways than one.
We DON”T NEED PETRODEATH.
The Klaus Barbie drug war must end,Mexico can become productive and wealthy,as the US can begin manufacturing again a truly green sustainable renewable resource.
The same corrupt fools that tried too tax us on our “carbon footprint”are spilling oil in the Gulf !
Shame on us for allowing these monsters to rule us and poison our home the earth.
BAN PETROLEUM OIL NOW ! Sieze BP’s assets and do not allow them to make ANY profits till this mess is stopped, and CLEANED UP.
Or go drink a nice glass of motor oil and allow the criminal prohibition of the most beneficial plant ever known to mankind because it “looks”like marijuana?
Are we nuts?
The whole drug war is a nazi invention
It is an invention of Nazi Butcher Klaus Barbie and General Gehlen both Nazi’s that were hired for US intel immediately after WW2 .Hitler was a meth head (see Vitamultin) and the Nazi’s and Japanese soldiers were given methamphetamines to make better killers of them. So we hired these monsters to run US Intel Ops in South America? Let Them Build NATO?
CIA and the Nazis
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5197039390510898056#
The Bolivian Cocaine Coup
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=210445822161571897
This is why the ban goes on.The drug war is a vehicle to corrupt men as we all know who benefits from it.It is a device to corrupt the governments and police,and excuse to act like nazi’s.But it’s original intent was to keep Standard Oil (BP now)
in business,and Rudolph Diesels agriculturally friendly engine off the market as new ways of processing hemp were invented just as hemp became EVIL ! Oooo scary !
It looks like Reefer Madness ! Oh Dear ! Gimme a break already.
Instead of fighting about illegal immigrants on the border and escalating crime and poisoning the oceans,and having plastic hydrocarbon garbage piles the size of Texas that will never degrade we can be worms and let this insanity of carcinogenic hell continue,or clean house and ban oil,and all the corruption,wars,death,spills,drug war stupidity and our own poisoned demise continue at the hands of absolute fools or make this the day that we ban petroleum.
The Gulf of Mexico is being poisoned and Mexicans will suffer from it,but the drug drenched media calls racism and wants a race war between Mexicans and Americans?
God forbid we ALL get together to ban petrodeath,and in the process attain safe resources and produce renewable sustainable manufacturing that is SAFE and create real prosperity.
This is a FAR greater threat than the phony CO2 scare.All activists get on the stick and demand the ban of petroleum hydrocarbon oil .Now more than ever Industrial Hemp because petroleum products are a clear and present danger to life on this planet! (the oil volcano is still blowing poison folks,and they say it could take MONTHS? THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE !)
Let’s get off our wishy washy butts.
Global voices? The UN is useless on this issue.The UN is corrupt and credits the laundered drug money as saving the economy a few months ago?
Forget the UN. We need a global end to this horrific stupidity.
Henry Ford & Rudolf Diesel Against Petroleum Part
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGZEMwMx2vk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR58dWGeBks
Unlike the phony CO2 tax scare “threat” we have a real threat facing us that is causing extinction of the planet.
You obviously cannot entrust the crime syndicates we call the drug money corrupted governments and even more corrupted UN to act on banning petroleum and using sane alternatives that grow like a weed,and totally renewable non toxic SANE products,or we will perish at the hands of fools.
C’mon….get the BIG scissors out and cut the crap already