A totally under-utilized plant in western society. It's cheap to raise, cheap to maintain, and very renewable. Yet it's got this astigmatizm of "It gets you high!" attached to it.
It can produce paper, rope, cloth, and it's seeds are even able to produce a fuel that's useable in vehicles, yet it's illegal in the States. We're not allowed to grow it because it contains THC, the active chemical of marijuana. Yet suggest smoking it to any knowledgeable smoker and they would laugh at you. It contains about 1/10 or more less THC than the normal low grade 'mexican dirt weed' that's the low end of what people smoke. It'd be like grabbing a leaf off of the ground and smoking it. You wouldn't get high, you'd just get a headache.
So I'm thinking, why is it that we have this plant, that could easily replace the need of cutting down trees for paper, or that we could use the seeds it produces for fuel, that's illegal? Is it capitolism to blame? I'd have to think so. Hemp cloth breathes easier than cotton fabrics, it's more comfortable to wear, so the cotton industy would'nt want it legal because it would take over that area. Lumber companies don't stand to lose as much as cotton, yet still a lot of their tree's still go to be produced into paper, so they would not want it legal. Oil, and gas companies would definately not want it to be legal because they would lose a truckload if 'biodisel' became a regular fuel.
It just sickens me that we have this plant, that can do so much for society, that's really really dirt cheap to maintain, and to grow, yet we can't take advantage of it because it's illigal.
Please if you have an opposing viewpoint voice it. I welcome the discussion because I want to enhance my view on this and refine my arguement. I'm sure it's not stated as best I can as it is, and I know that having opposing viewpoints will only help me refine and address the more important parts of the arguement.
