I see Wooody Harrelson has been arrested again for planting a hemp seed or some such. He wore a hemp suit to court.
So is hemp simply an excuse for legalizing marijuana?
Or is the paper industry trying to eliminate competition?
I thought he was arrested a few years ago, and the case was just recently decided in his favor.
The jury acquitted Harrelson just the other day.
Hemp is chemically different than pot. The chemical which gives a pot smoker their high is viturally non-existant in hemp. Hemp is mainly grown for its fiber, used in making strong rope, paper, a denim-like cloth, and other uses as well. George Washington and several other founding fathers grew hemp.
Back when Hearst pretty much ruled the newspaper industry, there were sensational articles about how marijuana usage cause people to kill their families, and congress, always swift to capitalize on moral outrage, passed the marijuana tax law, which made marijuana usage without a permit unlawful, punishable by very, very long sentances. The kicker was that no permits would be issued, making pot illegal. From what I heard, Hearst had purchased large tracts of forrest land, and didn’t want hemp paper cutting into his profits. Hearst encouraged anti-marijuana gop-crazy-and-and-kill-people articles, and did a very nice job of scaring the hell out of the American people, who wholeheartedly supported legislation which would outlaw such a horrible drug. Hemp was lumped in with marijuana, since few people knew the difference.
I’d just like to point out that the little nowhere hick town of 1300 where Woody planted his hemp seeds and was arrested and acquitted is the same little town where I spent my first 18 years.
Thank you, thank you. No autographs, please.
Seriously, hemp could be the best thing that ever happened to Kentucky, with tobacco farming quickly becoming a sure road to nowhere. I’ve never seen an even remotely reasonable argument for its continued illegality.
Dr. J
Here is Cecil Adams’ take on the issue of legalizing industrial hemp: