The Arlos Hemp Train has some new passengers

[Lyion]

Interesting stuff. I recall you discussing this many times before, Arlos.

http://reason.com/archives/2013/03/04/m ... join-force

Supporters of industrial hemp gained a powerful ally in Washington several weeks ago when Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) joined fellow Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul and Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) as a co-sponsor of S.359, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013. The House companion, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), has 28 co-sponsors. The bills would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp, the domestic production of which has been illegal since 1970.

Though manufacturing hemp is currently just as illegal as growing smokable pot, 10 states already have frameworks in place for industrial hemp production. The problem is that the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies all forms of hemp as a controlled substance, despite the fact that industrial hemp generally contains less than 0.3 percent THC, or anywhere between 1/6 to 1/66 the amount you'll find in marijuana. If you tried smoking hemp, you'd exhaust yourself before you got high.

Federal regulations do not differentiate between marijuana and its non-psychoactive cousin, which is used in the production of many useful items, including clothing, rope, biofuel, construction materials, and pulp for paper products. According to David West of the North American Industrial Hemp Council, more hemp products are exported to the United States from places like China and Canada than any other nation on earth.

The most recent victory for industrial hemp at the state level came when SB50, a bill to create a framework for licensure in Kentucky, passed unanimously out of the Senate Agriculture Committee and by 31-6 on the Senate Floor. Sen. Paul (who donned a shirt made of hemp during his testimony), Rep. Massie, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, and former CIA Director R. James Woolsey all testified in favor of the bill in committee.

[Spazz]

Yea criminalized plants is a silly concept. Way to go republicans you guys are great, hemp and your new found love of mexicans will surely see you into the white house in a few more years. That they are making hemp ok again is great but at the same time illustrates how absurd our ban on plants is.

[Arlos]

Re-legalizing industrial hemp would be a great move. Great for anything requiring natural fibers, like rope or clothing. It's also a MUCH more environmentally friendly source for making paper, since it grows rapidly, and doesn't require, you know, killing trees. It's an insanely good starter stock to make biofuels from too. Plus, it requires little to no irrigation, little to no fertilizers, and no pesticides, given that it is (literally) a weed.

So yes, definitely, enthusiastic support for its re-legalization here. I definitely don't much care for McConnell or Rand Paul, but hey, they get a thumbs up from me on this issue, that's for sure. Now, if only they were this rational when it came to budgetary issues.....

-Arlos

[brinstar]

Interesting stuff. I recall you discussing this many times before, Arlos.

http://reason.com/archives/2013/03/04/m ... join-force

Supporters of industrial hemp gained a powerful ally in Washington several weeks ago when Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) joined fellow Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul and Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) as a co-sponsor of S.359, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013. The House companion, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), has 28 co-sponsors. The bills would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp, the domestic production of which has been illegal since 1970.

Though manufacturing hemp is currently just as illegal as growing smokable pot, 10 states already have frameworks in place for industrial hemp production. The problem is that the Drug Enforcement Administration classifies all forms of hemp as a controlled substance, despite the fact that industrial hemp generally contains less than 0.3 percent THC, or anywhere between 1/6 to 1/66 the amount you'll find in marijuana. If you tried smoking hemp, you'd exhaust yourself before you got high.

Federal regulations do not differentiate between marijuana and its non-psychoactive cousin, which is used in the production of many useful items, including clothing, rope, biofuel, construction materials, and pulp for paper products. According to David West of the North American Industrial Hemp Council, more hemp products are exported to the United States from places like China and Canada than any other nation on earth.

The most recent victory for industrial hemp at the state level came when SB50, a bill to create a framework for licensure in Kentucky, passed unanimously out of the Senate Agriculture Committee and by 31-6 on the Senate Floor. Sen. Paul (who donned a shirt made of hemp during his testimony), Rep. Massie, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, and former CIA Director R. James Woolsey all testified in favor of the bill in committee.

lol, reason.com

[Drem]

Ive got some t-shirts from satori and a couple pairs of adidas hemp sambas and the stuff is legit. Low-cost and much more durable than cotton

Hemp for paper pulp is my favorite part. I wonder how the limber industry's gonna respond. God knows a few jobs are more important than the well-being of the planet (sorry coal industry :/)

[Tikker]

.

[brinstar]

modifies it to fuck you up more or whatever

people have been doing that for years and years without any involvement from big business

so i guess define "natural"

[Spazz]

Im ok with coke though

[Tikker]

.

[Zanchief]

so i guess define "natural"

Natural is a word that is used without proper definition every day.

[Harrison]

A buzz word used to sell shit to uneducated hippie wannabes, really.

"All Natural Organic smegma, locally grown!"

[Zanchief]

Pretty much.

[brinstar]

A buzz word used to sell shit to uneducated hippie wannabes, really.

"All Natural Organic smegma, locally grown!"

sometimes, yes

usually no

[Drem]

Don't bother alex, zanchief has made it plainly clear in the past that he prefers gmo tomatoes (or whatever) coated in pesticides because some monsanto-sponsored lab report told him it's healthier. while cancer rates in our country continue to soar thru the fuckin roof

[Zanchief]

None of what you said is true.

[Zanchief]

Food for thought (all natural of course).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

[Drem]

just messin around, pretty sure we beat this topic to death in the past