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Reps Paul, Frank introduce bill to legalize industrial hemp

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posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 09:55 PM
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Reps Paul, Frank introduce bill to legalize industrial hemp


rawstory.com

One of the earliest plants domesticated by man may be on the verge of a resurgence in popular production across the United States.

Industrial hemp, a non-drug variety of the cannabis plan, used for centuries for its versatile fibers, is the subject of a new bill filed by Congressmen Ron Paul (R-TX) and Barney Frank (D-MA). They and eight cosponsors, both Republican and Democrat, hope to legalize the plant so American farmers can begin supplying fibers for a wide array of products, with the overreaching goal of opening a new sector in American agriculture.

To view the bill's status, full text and list of sponsors, or to follow new developments, visit Govtrack.us

(visit the link for the full news article)

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
The Legalization Of Hemp--The Real Economic Stimilus Plan
hemp facts
North Dakota Farmers Sue to Overturn U.S. Ban on Industrial Hemp
California Assembly Approves Industrial Hemp

[edit on 3-4-2009 by News And History]



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 09:55 PM
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No one needs to follow ridiculous laws against free individuals, who wish to harvest, store, and eat their OWN healthy food. We know the occult-government doesn't care to keep their own laws, so why should we follow their commandments?

The occult-government wants to regulate what you decide to do on your own property & what you put in your body. No one on earth has a god-given right to control what we have growing in our fields & gardens.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 4-4-2009 by News And History]



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:15 PM
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good for them ... i hope the American government/citizens will deny ignorance and accept this ... if it even passes ...



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:20 PM
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This is becoming a possibility...for one..it should be legal anyway...but second....

THey are killing the tobacco industry with insane taxes. They are probably looking at this as a way to get more tax revenue to cover the losses on cigarette taxes.

I don't believe that is why Ron Paul is doing it...but that is what will help get it passed.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:22 PM
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reply to post by David9176
 


Unfortunately you're right. God forbid we have free access to something without them taxing it.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:22 PM
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This is already being done in Tazmania, Australia.

They grow a strain with virtually zero T.H.C. (not sure if it's G.M. or selective breeding) and I believe it's used for hemp fibre and oil.

It is worthy to note that hemp and marijuana are two different things and the local laws remain unchanged.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:24 PM
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This is a step in the right direction, I fully support this measure. The benefits of hemp are as we all know, endless, and could really help in restoring dignity to our American work force by offering solid respectable jobs.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:31 PM
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Originally posted by OZtracized
They grow a strain with virtually zero T.H.C. (not sure if it's G.M. or selective breeding) and I believe it's used for hemp fibre and oil.


Actually, they don't grow hemp to be non-thc. It just is. Hemp IS NOT marijuana. Period. It's totally different plant genetics.


It is worthy to note that hemp and marijuana are two different things and the local laws remain unchanged.


They are two different plants. Related...yes....the same....no.

It's like saying that black people are the exact same as whites. They aren't. They are related through the species but definitely NOT the same thing.

For one: Black people have cycle cell anemia...which is non-existent in whites.

[edit on 4/3/2009 by Griff]



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:35 PM
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This is a good law, and I am happy to see two Congressmen with very different points of view work together on something they agree on.

That's how a Republic should work



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:40 PM
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reply to post by Griff
 


I was under the impression hemp was the fibres derived from stem and marijuana is derived from the leaves/flowering tops but they both come from the same plant? I think the stems contain virtually no T.H.C. but you can't grow the plant without leaves and flowering tops.

Developing a strain with no T.H.C. in the leaves or flowering tops makes it still useful for it's fibres but useless for somebody trying to get high so it can be grown with less focus on security.

Am I wrong?



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:42 PM
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reply to post by xmotex
 


Do you know how much the USA pays to have hemp products (which are legal but illegal to produce) imported to the USA (which is the only legal way to sell hemp products)? It's insane. Why are we paying Canada Billions of dollars to import their non-thc-existent products? It's pathetic IMO.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:44 PM
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Originally posted by OZtracized
reply to post by Griff
 


I was under the impression hemp was the fibres derived from stem and marijuana is derived from the leaves/flowering tops but they both come from the same plant? I think the stems contain virtually no T.H.C. but you can't grow the plant without leaves and flowering tops.

Developing a strain with no T.H.C. in the leaves or flowering tops makes it still useful for it's fibres but useless for somebody trying to get high so it can be grown with less focus on security.

Am I wrong?


Yes, you are wrong. Hemp is a totally different genetic code of Cannabis Sativa than which marijuana is. It's like saying you and your cousin are genetically the same. Are you?



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 10:51 PM
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reply to post by Griff
 


Fair enough.
(a second line isn't really necessary)



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 11:00 PM
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The US Gov tried this during WW2 because of the need for our ships. All the ditch weed thats in the midwest comes from those strains and many folks take the good seeds and plant them in those patches to invigorate the plants to produce THC. Most times it works and I'm pretty sure it can still be done, even with the genetic manipulation they would try. Plants love to do things unintended by those that grow them!

Zindo



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 11:06 PM
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No Zindo,

It's like saying that you can take white people and take them and genetically engineer them into being black. NO you can't.

Please people. Hemp and Marijuana ARE NOT the same plant genetically.

They are totally different.

As much as you and I are with blacks or Asians. WE ARE NOT THE SAME. Neither is hemp and marijuana. Please quit feeding the hysteria/disinformation/propaganda. Pretty Please.



posted on Apr, 3 2009 @ 11:57 PM
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I think what zindo was referring to was akin to selective breeding over generations, but I could be wrong.

Either way it would be foolish to keep it illegal, IMO. Check out this article about a new company producing hemp milk in different flavors. It just proves beyond a shadow of a doubt there is huge potential demand for American grown hemp.
Hemp Milk



posted on Apr, 4 2009 @ 09:50 AM
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Griff,
Yes they are two different species of the canabis sativa family. However, they can be intebred and geneticly engineered to either produce THC or not. Highbreds are a fact of life in the plant family. It also does not take tens of hundreds of years to make those changes. Any good amature horticulturist can do it. Also, if your premis that humans don't make changes in their genetic makeup through breeding is true, breeding would not be possible. Genetic traits in humans change with every new generation, racialy, physicaly, mentaly, humans change!

Zindo



posted on Apr, 4 2009 @ 10:08 AM
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Zindo,

I see what you are saying about hybrids. But, if someone already had marijuana, why would they want to hybridize it with hemp and make a less potent plant?

Actually, if the US government really was as concerned as they say with MJ's potency nowadays, they would legalize hemp because there would be no way of stopping the plants (even indoor growers) from hybridizing and thus lowering the overall potency of MJ.

But, as stated before, hemp can not be selectively bred to start to produce thc. You need to hybridize with MJ first, which would defeat the purpose.



posted on Apr, 4 2009 @ 10:10 AM
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Originally posted by Griff
It's like saying that you can take white people and take them and genetically engineer them into being black. NO you can't.

Please people. Hemp and Marijuana ARE NOT the same plant genetically.

As much as you and I are with blacks or Asians. WE ARE NOT THE SAME. Neither is hemp and marijuana. Please quit feeding the hysteria/disinformation/propaganda. Pretty Please.



Please: Take the racist crap for a walk. A long one.

Also, a very large percentage of cannabis seeds are hermaphrodites anyway (self pollinating), and they produce THC and hemp. Although you are right to draw some lines, you are using a big magic marker whereas you should be drawing these lines in pencil, because more often than not, reality will diverge from your scenario and what will you do then?



posted on Apr, 4 2009 @ 10:26 AM
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Originally posted by smallpeeps
Please: Take the racist crap for a walk. A long one.


So, it's "racist" to point out a fact? Or are you telling me that you can take caucasians and genetically engineer an asian american out of them without introducing any asian american genetics into the gene pool?

There, is that PC enough for you?



Also, a very large percentage of cannabis seeds are hermaphrodites anyway (self pollinating), and they produce THC and hemp. Although you are right to draw some lines, you are using a big magic marker whereas you should be drawing these lines in pencil, because more often than not, reality will diverge from your scenario and what will you do then?


Yes, the two plants would probably converge some, but think about it.

Hemp farmers will not differentiate against male and female since there is no thc (female plants produce much more thc).

Marijuana farmers will differentiate between the two sexes to produce the marijuana.

Therefore the marijuana pollen is going to be little to none (hermaphrodites get killed too because who wants a seedy MJ plant?) while the hemp pollen will be the majority of cannabis pollen in the air.

This will lower the overall potency of the MJ farmers next round of seeds.

So, yes, you can selectively breed hemp with MJ to make the hemp more potent, but in doing this you are lowering the potency of your MJ. As a MJ breeder, why would yo want to do this when you already have potent MJ? You wouldn't. So this argument that people will start producing MJ from hemp is preposterous. Because people already have MJ.

[edit on 4/4/2009 by Griff]

[edit on 4/4/2009 by Griff]







 
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