With the Cannabis Tax Act, profits from the sale of cannabis will help create and fund an agricultural committee to promote hemp fiber, protein and oil crops and associated industries. It will provide millions of dollars a year to implement this important change.
Let's give our farmers back this valuable and environmentally necessary commodity.
Hemp prohibition is the result of propaganda by the petrochemical, cotton, and wood-based paper industries, who foresaw competition from hemp. Virtually anything that can be made from petroleum can be made from hempseed and other vegetable oils at a much lesser cost, and hemp fiber is many times more durable and resourceful than cotton or wood-based paper.
A number of social problems resulted from the Prohibition era. A profitable and violent black market for alcohol flourished. Powerful gangs corrupted law enforcement agencies, and stronger liquor surged in popularity because its potency made it more profitable to smuggle. Enforcing prohibition had an enormous price tag, and the absence of almost $500 million annual nationwide tax revenues on alcohol affected the government's financial resources. When repeal of prohibition occurred in 1933, organized crime lost nearly all of its black market alcohol profits in most states because of competition with low-priced alcohol sales at legal liquor stores.
At the end of prohibition some of the initial supporters openly admitted its failure. A quote from a letter, written in 1932 by wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., states:
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.”
However, when it came to marijuana and hemp prohibition, Rockefeller took a different stance. He was a known supporter of hemp prohibition along with Harry J. Anslinger, the United States First "drug czar" and William Randolph Hearst, well known media mogul. As to be expected, Hearst sympathized with the drug czar in his war against marijuana. Hearst's paper empire, which included hundreds of acres of timber forests, was threatened by the renewable resource of hemp that could be re-grown yearly, unlike Hearst's timber. In his newspapers, Hearst published many of Anslinger’s fabricated stories, aiding the anti-marijuana movement that eventually led to its prohibition in the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act (Wikipedia). Rockefeller had his interests in oil, and after founding Standard Oil in 1870, soared to become the first U.S. dollar billionaire, and Standard Oil was even convicted of monopolistic practices and broken up in 1911. There seems no way that hemp could have had a chance when the media, the government, and the oil industry were swiftly making little room for hemp to survive.
Hemp is not only in direct competition with timber and petroleum, but also with many other industries throughout the world. Hemp offers wholesome and nutritious foodstuffs such as edible oil from the seeds, which are also used for making chocolate bars and other foods; renewable fiber for clothing and building. The original Levi jeans were made from hemp but lasted too long to be commercially viable; high grade papers, such as those used for bank notes, tissues, hand towels, and tea bags, where strength when wet is critical, and so much more. Cannabis is a medicine that was created by nature, producing powerful documented results without the side effects of the manufactured chemicals that the drug companies peddle during every television commercial break. Cannabis can even be a nice after work treat in the same way that a glass of beer or wine is enjoyed after a long day at the office.
When it comes to the cost that our nation pays when it comes to hemp and cannabis prohibition, it is clear that we must re-legalize this diverse and useful plant. There are so many benefits to be gained from this potential source of income for our state and country. This needless "war on marijuana" must end. We must restore the right to realize the benefits of an income source from a renewable source through agriculture, energy, paper, clothing, nutrition, medicine, and responsible adult recreation. By restoring Hemp and Cannabis in Oregon we will not only keep Oregon free and green, but we will strive toward making Oregon even GREENER!
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis#By_Nation
http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/hemp_defined.html#plant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States
According to the Notre Dame University publication, The Midlands Naturalist, from a 1975 article called, "Feral Hemp in Southern Illinois," about the wild hemp fields that annual efforts from law enforcement eradication teams cannot wipe out, an acre of hemp produces:
1. 8,000 pounds of hemp seed per acre.
* When cold-pressed, the 8,000 pounds of hemp seed yield over 300 gallons of hemp seed oil and a byproduct of
* 6,000 pounds of high protein hemp flour.
These seed oils are both a food and a biodiesel fuel. Currently, the most productive seed oil crops are soybeans, sunflower seeds and rape seed or canola. Each of these three seed oil crops produce between 100 to 120 gallons of oil per acre. Hemp seed produces three times more oil per acre than the next most productive seed oil crops, or over 300 gallons per acre, with a byproduct of 3 tons of food per acre. Hemp seed oil is also far more nutritious and beneficial for our health than any other seed oil crop.
In addition to the food and oil produced, there are several other byproducts and benefits to the cultivation of hemp.
2. Six to ten tons per acre of hemp bast fiber. Bast fiber makes canvas, rope, lace, linen, and ultra-thin specialty papers like cigarette and bible papers.
3. Twenty-five tons of hemp hurd fiber. Hemp hurd fiber makes all grades of paper, composite building materials, animal bedding and a material for the absorption of liquids and oils.
4. The deep tap root draws up sub-soil nutrients and then, when the leaves fall from the plant to the ground, they return these nutrients to the top soil for the next crop rotation.
5. The residual flowers, after the seeds are extracted, produce valuable medicines.
Our farmers need this valuable crop to be returned as an option for commercial agriculture.
While marijuana is prohibited, industrial hemp will be economically prohibitive due to the artificial regulatory burdens imposed by the prohibition of marijuana. When marijuana and cannabis are legally regulated, industrial hemp will return to its rightful place in our agricultural economy.
Hemp may be the plant that started humans down the road toward civilization with the invention of agriculture itself. All archaeologists agree that cannabis was among the first crops purposely cultivated by human beings at least over 6,000 years ago, and perhaps more than 12,000 years ago.
Restoring industrial hemp to its rightful place in agriculture today will return much control to our farmers, and away from the multinational corporations that dominate our political process and destroy our environment. These capital-intensive, non-sustainable, and environmentally destructive industries have usurped our economic resources and clear-cut huge tracts of the world's forests, given us massive oil spills, wars, toxic waste, massive worldwide pollution, global warming and the destruction of entire ecosystems.
Prohibiting the cultivation of this ancient plant, the most productive source of fiber, oil and protein on our planet, is evil. In its place we have industries that give us processes and products that have led to unprecedented ecological crisis and worldwide destruction of the biological heritage that we should bequeath to our children, grandchildren and future generations.
Rich in Omega’s, hemp nuts are vital for a healthy brain and nervous system.
Hempseed's are a plentiful source of dietary fiber, calcium and iron. Whole hempseeds are also a good source of beta-carotene, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. Hempseed is usually very safe for those unable to digest nuts, gluten, and lactose. Hemp milk contains 10 essential amino acids, making it a good vegetarian source of protein.
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, "Hemp seeds have a rich, nutty flavor, something like sunflower seeds. Hemp milk is made by pulverizing the seeds, blending them with water and straining out the solid residue. The resulting "milk" provides both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids in a healthy three-to-one ratio."
Weil has also stated "As a physician, I recommend nutritious hemp seeds and oil to anyone interested in maintaining a healthy diet." He believes everyone will benefit when American farmers can grow this amazing crop once again.
The latest health expert to put his stamp of approval on hemp is Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Doctor Oz Show. During a recent show featuring a blind taste-test of non-dairy alternatives, Hemp Milk was Dr. Oz's favorite alternative to milk. "Hemp milk is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids which have been found to be good for both the heart and brain." said Samantha Heller, well-known Registered Dietician, author, radio-show host and regular on The Dr. Oz Show.
"I love hemp seeds. I love them for breakfast. They have hemp milk. It’s a great source of a lot of nutrients. It's sort of exciting, makes the pallet wake up a bit and is a much better boost than the [sugary] granola bar," explained Dr. Oz.
Cathy Hearn, the President of Living Harvest Hemp Milk said, "After years of working to raise awareness and educate the consumers on the benefits of Hemp, it's great to see health experts like Jillian Michaels, Samantha Heller, and Dr. Oz providing their endorsement. Hemp has something great to offer everyone."
According to the writings of the founder of the Hemp Food Industries Association and Director of Hemp Foods Australia, Paul Benhaim, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) have many jobs in the body, and these EFAs are in hemp seeds and hemp food products are sold in mainstream supermarkets throughout North America and Europe. EFAs help hold proteins in the membrane. The EFAs Omega 3 and Omega 6 substantially shorten the time required for fatigued muscles to recover after exercise and Omega 3 also increases stamina and speeds healing on many levels.
Foods made with hemp now on the market include ice cream, cereals, waffles, snack bars and more. The health benefits of hemp as food abound and if we can restore this crop to our country's farmers, healthier food options would increase. It's time we contact our elected officials and urge them to support the re-legalization of hemp as a crop to our nation's farms. Restore hemp!
Source: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/new-miracle-health-drink
http://nutiva.com/articles/dr-oz%E2%80%99s-brain-boosting-smoothie-with-...
http://www.livingharvest.com/press/health-experts-are-talking-about-hemp
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400584/High-on-Hemp-Milk.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#Food
http://http://www.hempfoods.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Hemp-and-E...