Miracle Fibers

 “Why use up the forest which were centuries in the making and the mines which require ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp field?” – Henry Ford

The argument towards politics and hemp advocators has been going on for years whether to legalize industrial hemp.  Currently hemp is not legal to be cultivated in the United States under Federal law for the reason that of its relation to marijuana and any imported hemp products must meet a zero tolerance level.  Hemp is considered a controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act, which regulates farmer’s form growing this crop. 

In the video Hempster: Plant the Seed, three arguments are made to why industrial hemp should stay illegal.  The first argument is that law enforcement officials won’t be able to distinguish hemp from marijuana. The second argument is that farmers could conceal illegal marijuana in legal hemp fields. And the third argument is that legalizing hemp would send the wrong message to children.  Theses arguments make since until you realize how beneficial industrial hemp is to our environment.

“Hemp is one of the faster growing biomasses known and can produce up to 25 tones of dry matter per hectare per year”.  Not only is hemp used for biomass but it is also environmentally friendly because it does not require pesticides.  Hemp can produce paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel.  As seen hemp is a diverse plant that can be used in many forms and can produce numerous products that would help us achieve a sustainable planet. Hemp is sustainable in many forms.  Because hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 days it can produce more products and help save forests. Hemp also slows ozone depletion because hemp fuels derived from the plant itself.  These are some of the arguments that hemp advocators are making to make industrial hemp legal. 

Both of these arguments hold valuable points.  The arguments that the politicians are making are addressed for the best interest of the people and the arguments that the hemp advocators are making are addressed for our environment.  The issues that surround both arguments are whether to look after the people of the United States or our environment.  The argument of not be able to distinguish hemp from marijuana can be easily settled.  The two plants come from the same species but they do not look alike.  Because hemp is used in a different form than marijuana it is cultivated differently.  Secondly, if farmers where to farm marijuana in their legal hemp fields they are running the risk of losing their farmer’s license and their business.  As for the third argument, I find that it is important not to send a wrong message to our children about the growth of hemp.  However, I believe that children can be educated to know the difference between the two plants and how industrial hemp is used as a resource to help our environment become sustainable.

In order to counsel consumers about the legalization of industrial hemp I would provide them with the same information that was given to us and inform them how industrial hemp will be more beneficial to our environment than harmful.  The truth is that most people are misinformed about the process of cultivating industrial hemp.  I believe that if more people were educated about industrial hemp, we would be able to achieve a sustainable planet.  The quote from Henry Ford says it all, why destroy our planet when there are other valuable resources that can be used to produce products.