I used this to answer a question but thought it would make a good question itself !!?

Question

We need the world to change its attitude to hemp. It grows fast, fixes lots of carbon, produces the best natural fibre in the world (far better than cotton), is naturally pest resistant, produces natural plastics and resins, can be used to make eco friendly building material stronger than concrete, is cheap to grow, is a rich source of valuable food, will grow just about anywhere in the world, is hugely medicinal, produces more useable cellulose than any other plant, can be used as fuel domestic industrial and car (Diesels first engine was designed to run on hemp oil), it makes great paper that doesn't need bleach like wood pulp so much less pollution. Whilst absorbing carbon it can be used to end third world poverty and debt, reforest man made deserts as a pioneer plant.

But it threatens the american paper industry, oil industry, medicinal drug industry and world bank - that's why politicians make up all the scare stories and the rest of the world follows suit. Thumbs up anyone???

Answer 1

scrumpyb - Am I correct in thinking that "hemp" refers to a number of related plants only one of which is Cannabis ?  There would need to be more understanding of this to make it more acceptable.  There is already clothing available made using hemp and it is in some "chewy" bars to eat - but for some reason these products are hugely expensive.  I would give it a big thumbs up   Vee

Answer 2

I have to say that I don't feel qualified to give an expert opinion but if all of what you say is correct then it does make you wonder why we don't produce more.  The only thing I am a bit dubious about is that since we live in a competitive world it makes me wonder why other countries don't use it.  So why don't they?  This would force America to change it's ways.

Answer 3

Thumbs up!!

Answer 4

I strongly agree.  It would have been done already, but some idiots with no medical problems just want to keep smoking marijuana to get high and keep scaring off lawmakers and as a result, no one gets the benefits except criminals.  Selfish hedonists ruin everything!

Answer 5

Hemp is already grown in many countries and refined products are sold in countries where growing hemp itself is illegal.

Yes, it is a useful crop, same as neem, blueberries, rice or artemisia. Yet, like all of these, it is not a miracle panacea that will solve everything.

As the products are quite freely available globally, I don't see that legalising the growth of hemp would have a significant impact for the Earth, especially vis-a-vis AGW, although it might have some localised economic impacts.

Answer 6

If there is money in it, the free market will fund it.  If it needs government subsidies, it won't work!

Like subsidizing corn for biofuels

Answer 7

i didn't know that but i agree about the political stuuf, if it doesn't make the Gov money then they won't do it, when it boils down to it the economy is more important to them than anything else, including global warming (which incidently i don't believe is happening). Maybe you should start growing it, if you can't afford the land and seed to start it, you may be able to get someone with money to invest if you can get them a good business plan. There are plenty of people with plenty of money that love to p**s the government off, especially in the UK

Answer 8

err.... isn't hemp also called Canabis ?

Maybe thats why its not grown anymore ?

But i agree that it is an excellent plant to provide raw materials, maybe it could be grown under strict guidelines ?

Answer 9

If we allowed the growing of hemp on lands were it was traditionally grown the whole economy would benefit and the production of low quality grades of flowering hemp that is sold for drugs would decline. The only people to lose would be the oil companies that now make diesel out of oil since thay got the growing of hemp made illegal. The stuff makes better lines and ropes than the plastic stuff made from oil also, does not stretch like plastic rope does.

Answer 10

yes i thumbs up

Answer 11

what is the question?

Answer 12

Well if you look closely it was put down and made illegal because hemp oil is the best and cheapest diesel fuel in the world and it makes great rope also. Who was responsible for this and they had two reasons for it, Big Oil so that they could sell petroleum for diesel and also to make rope out by producing nylon as a synthetic hemp fiber. Everything continues to point to all the promoters of AGW as being employees of the oil companies not environmentalists. Not sure look at where all the profits from the AGW scam are going, straight to the oil companies.

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.

H.L.Mencken

Answer 13

It was only made illegal to satisfy American cotton farmers but that was a lifetime ago, it should be legalised