Industrial hemp being made available to all....or is it?

I would like to point out that this thread is about industrial hemp absolutely NOT to be confused with psychoactive drug varieties.
A very informative thread was started about the history of industrial hemp just before christmas, but was removed, and I do not understand why. I hope it doesn't happen again this time, because the use and manufacture of industrial hemp needs to be discussed.

I strongly believe the current restrictions on growing industrial hemp, certainly in the US, although on the surface seems to be moving forward, it is in my view, step by step, putting restrictions in place to prevent small farmers, homesteaders, even private citizens from growing the plant be it for fuel, making your own clothes, feeding your animals or for building materials, such is ther versatility of this plant. Just listing its uses shows that to allow anybody free reign to grow this plant on a farming or small scale is a massive threat to big corporations who will be looking to 'seize control' of this plant.

Recent legislation passed as can be seen from the article below, although looks like a positive move...I believe is the first step to putting controls which would prevent the private grower, big or small from producing it, either for personal or business purposes.

So why is this 'limey' interested in this? Do I need to mention The TAA and TPA for it to make sense?

Industrial Hemp Amendment Makes It Into Farm Bill

Vote Hemp, the nation's leading hemp grassroots advocacy organization working to revitalize industrial hemp production in the U.S., is excited to report that an amendment to legalize hemp production for research purposes was included in the Farm Bill, which will soon be voted on in both the House and Senate.

Originally introduced by Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the amendment allows colleges and universities, and now also State Agriculture Departments per the conference committee revisions, to grow hemp for academic or agricultural research purposes, but applies only to states where industrial hemp farming is already legal under state law. The full text of the bill may be found at: www.votehemp.com...

"Although I strongly opposed the Republican Farm Bill, I was pleased to see that the bipartisan amendment that I offered with Representatives Blumenauer and Massie was included in the final bill that passed the House of Representatives today," said Rep. Polis. "This commonsense amendment will allow colleges and universities to grow and cultivate industrial hemp for academic and agricultural research purposes in states where industrial hemp cultivation is already legal. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that this language becomes law."

"This is an important victory for farmers, manufacturers, and consumers in Kentucky and across the country. Our amendment paves the way for production of industrial hemp by first allowing America's academic and research institutions to demonstrate that hemp and the products derived from hemp present a great economic opportunity for our country," said Rep. Massie. "The inclusion of our industrial hemp amendment in the farm bill reflects widespread support for cultivating industrial hemp and proves Congress can work together in a bipartisan fashion to help the American economy at a time when creating jobs is a national priority."

There is more here...
www.activistpost.com...

Can you see where this is going? While restricted to only academic research, I predict they will find reasons to genetically modify it, or reasons why 'the common man' can not grow it etc...thus paving the way for the likes of big agri like Monsanto to be the only producers of industrial hemp, who, in turn will be working hand in hand with their 'bed fellows' right down to home insurance companies.

Dearest mods....Please do not delete this thread....this is Industrial hemp, NOT to be confused with the other kind. This is a plant on so many different levels can provide humanity with so many solutions. Big corporations know it and are busy trying to restrict its production only to them.

Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by angelchemuel


Would the mods delete it if it were the other kind? I happen to live in Washington State, and I'm proud of the legislative steps the people have taken to redirect money away from criminal foreign drug cartels into local tax revenue, through our legalization initiatives. My pride extends to Colorado as well.

As far as industrial hemp, I think its very much the undocumented, but very important side effect of the reforms going on right now as well. It has many uses, and will be a big boon to the economy as it becomes accepted. I hope states that have made reforms on the recreational and medical front will not forget this, and will allow companies to seek the same profit George Washington did from this plant, an undeniable historical fact - whether he smoked it or not.

reply to post by tridentblue


Yes we are fully aware but please don't derail the thread into that subject. The specific point of the OP is very good, on how the agroindustrial complex (inc. oil producers) will try again to subvert the need of state control over the plant.

reply to post by Panic2k11


Its not a "derailment". Its a question of local people asserting their sovereignty to do what's right, which is what we've been seeing lately. Once you see these big businesses and government as the unified complex that they are, the solutions become a lot more plain.

PEace!

reply to post by tridentblue


Yes I believe they do, as it's in the T&C's. Hence the reason I went to great lengths to make it very clear I have started this thread to discussindustrial hemp.

I would very much appreciate if you decide to make further posts on this thread that you keep it to discussing industrial hemp otherwise this thread will get pulled by the mods which they are well within their rights to do within the T&C's we have all agreed to.

Rainbows
Jane

hemp ropes rot - my grand father found this out the hard way

reply to post by angelchemuel


My every post on this thread has been in support of industrial hemp, including my first where I raised the history George Washington and industrial hemp. But I have to say, I think your characterization of the mods as against recreational or medical marijuana may be misguided: My experience is that ATS is a very open minded place.

But if they are against the current legalization efforts, I'd like them to make it explicit, through deleting my posts (not yours) so I could know I'm posting on a site that isn't in line with my personal beliefs. My bet is they won't, this site seems to value truth and open dialogue - when its respectful - a great deal.

The real reason it is illegal is because the PTB can't control it

It is plain and simple about economic domination.

reply to post by angelchemuel


There will be many industries that will fight this bill. Everyone from Big Pharma, Oil, Cotton and synthetic manufacturers will pitch a fit due to someone attempting to take a slice of their pie in profits.

Clothing made from hemp is as durable if not more so than cotton. Betsy Ross'es prototype U.S. Flag was also made from hemp cloth. (little history lesson for those who didn't know)

reply to post by ignorant_ape

May I suggest that the rope was made from the wrong hemp?

"Hemp" was for medieval Europeans a generic term used to describe any fiber [1]. With European expansion, fiber plants encountered during exploration were commonly called "hemp." Thus we have a bewildering variety of plants that carry the name hemp: Manila hemp (abacá, Musa textilis), sisal hemp (Agave sisalana), Mauritius hemp (Furcraea gigantea), New Zealand hemp (Phormium tenax), Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), Indian hemp (jute, Corchorus capsularis or C. clitorus), Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum), bow-string hemp (Sansevieria cylindrica) [2].

I suspect it wasn't made from jute? I don't know, but hemp rope is made from a specific type of hemp, and coming from a very long line of maritime sailors and ship builders....hemp rope is probably the most robust next to that horrid blue nylon stuff which is a bi-product of the oil industry.


Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by TDawgRex

No I don't think they will.
The point I was trying to make in my OP and the headline is that by allowing just places of academia to grow and investigate hemp is that although it looks good to the advocates of hemp, in the long term it will be a way for these big corporations to have control by growing hemp their way.....thus giving them control and taking it away from us.
Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by angelchemuel


Long time activist, first time caller.

My favorite thing to do to introduce people to hemp is to point them to an old book, a centuries old book if they can find one. If the pages look and feel like they were printed yesterday, they were printed on hemp paper.

Fabric, food, oil, paper, the list grows daily as new tech meets old tech and hemp's uses are both remembered and increased.

As for having to prove all over again that hemp is a good substance for these things, that seems odd, especially to have to go the university route when all they have to do is obtain examples of hemp products made throughout the centuries, or in countries where it is totally legal to use it for manufacturing.

I live in west texas cotton country, and would absolutely LOVE to see it stopped being grown. It is ridiculously hard on the soil. Inefficient, as you have to rotate fields all the time.

Hemp would fix a lot of those problems. Especially as farmers continue to drain wells and aquifers to water cotton crops that require so much more water to grow.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I'm a bit confused....are you for or against hemp crop?



Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by angelchemuel

bigfatfurrytexanHemp would fix a lot of those problems. Especially as farmers continue to drain wells and aquifers to water cotton crops that require so much more water to grow.

Everything that petroleum does, hemp does as well. You can smoke a whole trash bag full of the stuff and never get a buzz, yet its lumped in there with weed.

Henry Ford even made a complete car frame and gas and all out of that plant, imagine what could be done with todays technologies.

www.wakingtimes.com...

Why are we not allowing our farmers to grow hemp? Well, we know the reasons – big oil, pharma, timber, and chemical companies do not want to lose their investment dollars; the military – using OUR dollars to fund wars, some of which have to do with…yes, you guessed it…OIL.

www.agcanada.com...

Due to industrial hemp’s association with its cousin marijuana, farmers need to be licensed through Health Canada and pass a criminal record check in order to grow the crop. Testing is also required to confirm levels of THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — are below the allowable 0.3 per cent.

Clothing, dietary seeds, biofuel, hempcrete, so many uses.
It grows fast , like bamboo.
I think one of the worries is that it'll compete with big oil companies, but there's so many uses for it, the biofuel side of it could also be regulated.

Canada has been growing well regulated hemp crops since the late 90s.

reply to post by angelchemuel


For me, the top argument of legalising the production of industrial hemp would be for making paper. You can regrow a field of hemp in 8 to 10 weeks, compared to 20 years to grow a new forest of trees. The hemp even makes better quality paper!!

If your starving you can eat it and if your cold you can use the oil for heating and lighting. I'm sure with some refinement you can use it to power vehicles and prob generators and make clothing and rope and housing and........

No wonder the criminals who run the show don't want us to have access to this amazing plant, it would remove our reliance on their corrupt industries by a huge extent.

I think one of the worries is that it'll compete with big oil companies, but there's so many uses for it, the biofuel side of it could also be regulated.

Canada has been growing well regulated hemp crops since the late 90s.



But why should it be regulated. ITS A PLANT!!! Lavender could compete with the air freshener industry but I don't need a licence to grow that in my greenhouse

reply to post by AngryScotsman


They feel it needs to be regulated because it still looks identical to the it's cousin "that we're not allowed to mention on this site".
If its regulated, and cops come across acres of hemp growing, they will know not to look for anything illegally grown in the crop, as someone else is checking up on that.

I don't think Canada regulates what its used for, whether it be dietary seeds, plastic products, clothing, etc, but the US might.
Big oil lobbies the US government so the regulations might be forced by who gives out the money.

Canada has only a tenth of the population as the US, and we are already required by the NAFTA agreement to export a certain amount of our regular oil and gas to the US, so the more biofuel we can make available to ourselves, the better.