Why don't we grow hemp to save the forest and also for alternative to ethanol?

Question

10,000 acres of hemp can produce as much paper product as 40,000 acres of forest. I'm sure we could use it as fuel too. growing corn for ethanol is just raising food prices.

Answer 1

So you are suggesting that intensive agriculture SAVES forest land? Before agriculture, what do you think those fields were? Some of the most productive farmlands in the United states were once stunning, productive forests.

I am not against all farming, or hemp production, but forest management is a sound way of producing wood fiber AND keeping Forest Land Forest Land.

Answer 2

also, because Dupont decided that petrolium based products were more lucrative. Dupont is the reason hemp was made illegal in the first place. Greedy, money hungry politicians did political spinning to make Marijuana illegal.

Answer 3

Because someone in a governmental position would have to stand up and say out loud "We were wrong". That doesn't happen.  It has nothing to do with anyone being afraid of hemp as a drug, it is convincing people that it is ok to learn and adapt and take responsibility.  Who will take responsibility?

Answer 4

Because someone will smoke it!

Answer 5

because hemp is also very energy inefficient

Answer 6

to many people would be smoking it and causing more CO2

Answer 7

Because it is illegal. And because we do not yet have a cheap and efficient way to make ethanol from cellulose.

Answer 8

It will make no difference as it will produce the same amount of CO2 for the same work.

Answer 9

We don't grow it because it is to cheap to grow.

We use to grow it and it produce good strong ropes to hold our ships and tugboats. It can be used to make clothes, but. it is cheap.

The part of the plant not used for rope or materials, has many medicinal qualities, which would crumble the big pharmaceutical companies.

The growing of Hemp went down with Prohibition, when a bottle of Coke had "coke' in it. That's how Coke got it's slogan, "Coke refreshes you best!"

Bottom line - IT"s CHEAP!

Answer 10

because our government is scared of what "this plant can do to our society" there isn't any money coming in for them as much as fossil fuels. there are lots of herbs you can use to heal yourself and they ten times better then over the counter c**p. not to mention, there are other alternatives that are healthier for a human being in the long term, that are natural, easier, methods of healing. for example, eucalyptus is excellent for a cough. but if people went and grew their own herbs, pharmaceutical companies would be screwed so they tell you not to rely on these herbs for healing and settle for the man made stuff. what i am saying pretty much is that it's all about money. and control. it doesn't seem that the powers of be want this country to be overrun by hemp. i think it is a fine idea to use hemp instead. you can make clothes and sandals too :)

Answer 11

Because it is too logical for most governments to understand and because of the so-called ramifications of illegal use.  Promoting use of hemp for most of our products, including clothing, would also promote the economies of many poor countries.  Good question, thank-you!

Answer 12

what a hippie!!!!

Answer 13

We don't use it because of political control and retribution. It is a great source of fiber, that is a fact. Our fore fathers grew it to make rope and sail cloth... original Levis jeans where made of hemp. But black and brown peoples smoked the evil twin sister (and a lot of Whites in the 60's too) so suppress those minorities and undesirables with draconian drug laws (how is it you can go to jail longer for selling pot than man slaughter?). Problem; most people can not tell the difference between rope and dope. In the Levis case, they switched to cotton because the hemp made jeans never w***e out (the black art of planed obsolescence). Its a weed, so it does not need fertilizers or pesticides, so now who's against it? The evil twin grows just as prolifically, so anyone could grow it and self medicate themselves, oh my, now who's against it as well? It has always amazed me how a weed has become such a sticking point for so many reasons. Welcome to America in the 21st Century, if only the rest of us could learn how to turn bull sh** into gold!

Answer 14

Homer, paper is not made from forest trees, its made from pulp wood trees grown as a crop, much like you would suggest growing hemp.  

Does hemp contain high levels of sugar or starch?  If not it will be useless as a feed stock for ethanol production.  Does it contain high levels of fat?  If not, it would be useless as a feed stock for bio-diesel.

Hemp is an excellent source of fiber, but other than that and certain recreational uses, I don't believe it has much value as a crop.