According to Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill, a group of bipartisan Senators, led by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D), have filed legislation seeking to exempt industrial hemp (which, in effect, is very low potent cannabis) from the Controlled Substances Act (which, concerning cannabis specifically, is largely directed at prohibiting recreational and therapeutic use of the herb).
Update: You can help advocate for this bill’s passage here.
One of the most indefensible aspects of modern Cannabis Prohibition is the federal government’s continued opposition to allowing American farmers and consumers benefit from a domestic industrial hemp industry, when, ridiculously, other free market and democratic countries who also maintain user prohibitions on cannabis—countries like the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and notably Canada—allow their farmers to legally cultivate industrial cannabis. This inherently places American farmers and agriculture at a competitive disadvantage and American consumers paying higher costs for imported raw and finished hemp products.
Senator Wyden tells The Hill:
“I firmly believe that American farmers should not be denied an opportunity to grow and sell a legitimate crop simply because it resembles an illegal one,” Wyden said. “Raising this issue has sparked a growing awareness of exactly how ridiculous the U.S.’s ban on industrial hemp is. I’m confident that if grassroots support continues to grow and Members of Congress continue to hear from voters then common sense hemp legislation can move through Congress in the near
future.”
Read more here.
To learn everything you need to know about hemp and efforts to reform America’s antiquated industrial hemp laws, please check out our hempen friends:
Sadly, ‘legislative sanity’ sounds like an oxymoron to me.
The federal government would worry that growing hemp may cause a freedom epidemic among wealthy farmers since slavery is no longer an issue.
VOTE for your freedom!
Oh Joel. Slavery is STILL an issue, its still alive. Thats why America has the only “for profit” prison system in the world. Its legalized slavery.
I found an old magazine from 1975 about decriminalizing pot. I used to hide in my parents addict when I wanted to smoke. After that, I became good at hiding.
http://books.google.com/books?id=nOsCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=%22Making+a+Hammer+Dulcimer,%22+leaflet+%2372-5.&source=bl&ots=DGLyqcdGA1&sig=aHHcjdUIBZCRJRZOLIPPkJL-UrM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4mcgUMzqOIuK8QSg6oHwBA&ved=0CFAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22Making%20a%20Hammer%20Dulcimer%2C%22%20leaflet%20%2372-5.&f=false
cannabis sativa – indica – hybrid Medicine
cannabis hemp – GAS OIL Etc. Better Cleaner
JOBS
Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?”
– Henry Ford
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.”
– Ezekiel 34:29, Holy Bible
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
– Genesis 1:12, Holy Bible
Sadly, I predict that this legislation doomed for failure. At least until the special intrests get thier filthy hands out of OUR government. I hope I am wrong…..
Legislation like this could be the foundation of a Full Spectrum Approach. The spectrum involves the THC content of cannabis. Some cannabis is not worth smoking, some of it is. We can eliminate the confusion with this simple
definition of marijuana which actually shows respect for our Constitution:
16. The term ‘marijuana’ means all parts
of the smoke produced by the combustion
of the plant Cannabis sativa L.
For more information, google Talking Points for the Peloton.
Regardless of smoking the herb the benefits hemp has to cleaner fuel and more jobs its crazy I just hope something drastic will happen while im on this planet!
This ban was put in place to help promote the new synthic fiber called nylon. However, this law was mis-engineered. It should have had expired after a time frame, only long enough for the public to learn of this new “nylon”. Five – eight or ten years, something like that.
Never should have be added to the Controlled Substances Act. But was done anyway, just to hurt the economy. We really should compile a list of the buffoons who insisted hemp is dangerous. A clean, renewable resource is somehow marketed as a “dangerous material”. I’d like to know the names of these nut-balls.
We really have to stop making it such a terrible thing and be educated and intelligent people. People will still be able to obtain it privately just as with other classified substances. We really have to stop making it a criminal offense, and ignoring it like our politicians and government agencies are doing.It is an herb which I don’t believe to be any worse than the ones used to produce pharmaceutical drugs which are advertised on our television screens daily.
It’s illegal for the DEA to be paid their paychecks and funds via Taxes since the DEA are a corporate private entity akin to Toyota and Wal-Mart. . .there is no proof the DEA are a Federal or Government Agency because of their role in the hemp ban. The Sherman-Anti Trust Act of 1890, makes it illegal for the DEA to be paid and it makes their role in banning hemp illegal. The DEA get paid to promote and push Canadian and Chinese hemp products in our stores via keeping America from growing hemp/selling American grown hemp in our stores.
World War II hemp for victory gave American farmers legal precedents to grow hemp during war time. America is now at war and have been since 9/11 and U.S. soldiers are denied hemp, which could be better, more abundant, cleaner, healthier and cheaper for the tax payers. The DEA are hurting our war efforts . . . the DEA are committing treason during a time of war, therefore logic dictates (and proves) that the DEA are Muslim Terrorists if not Muslim Terrorist sympathizers –further proof that the DEA are members of Radical Islam: Al Qaeda and the Taliban do not want America to grow hemp for her war efforts and would do anything they could to deny American grown hemp, thus the DEA are in compliance with Al Qaeda and the Taliban . . . actions speak louder than words. The DEA kept American farmers from growing hemp during the last years of Vietnam, thus the DEA were NVA and VC sympathizers via actions . . . what they personally believe plays no part in their lives or jobs, since their actions speak volumes to where their loyalty rests in America: Radical Islam and 9/11 terrorism. The law requires we at least execute or imprison any members of the DEA who keep American hemp banned for U.S. soldiers during a time of war . . . treason deserves punishment . . . simply obeying orders or doing ones job did not excuse the hangman’s noose in the Nuremburg War Crimes Trials. The fact that we are not taking our guns and escorting the DEA to the nearest tall tree for hanging means we are breaking the law . . . war time makes it illegal to not execute or imprison the DEA: I’m a multiple felon by not lawfully hanging any of them in my backyard, therefore I’m worthy of execution or imprisonment for allowing the DEA to commit sabotage. How much better off would Afghanistan or Iraq be if we encouraged those nations to grow hemp –they would be more stable and our soldiers would be safer for it (and the war would cost less) . . . those nations would be cleaner as well by taking away (or reducing) petrol fuels and plastics –by making deforestation in Afghanistan for goods (opium crops) or land (livestock and grains) less practical and unnecessary, especially since hemp is a food source –a plant that is simultaneously used for gasoline and food or for diesel and gasoline at the same time . . . one of the few plants that the price and abundance of clothing or plastics or furniture has something to do with food. It’s sad the DEA encourages starvation and joblessness. Mrs. Leonhart is just as bad if not worse than Osama Bin Laden –she kills via denying resources, jobs and creating drug money financed wars and genocides with her militant prohibition . . . who would ever want to join the DEA –it reminds me of creating a TV show called: ‘Who Wants to be the Next SS Officer’.