The recent U.S. Farm Bill, awaiting the presidents signature, allows states to legally grow Hemp. But only those states which vote it legal (9 thus far with 11 pending). *And only legal for University and College research.

- Oy! Why don't they just free this plant for our use! i am happy some progress has been made. But am pissed that we must wait yet longer. Who are they protecting by keeping us from this plant? Not the people, but rather the big business this plant competes with. And it must threaten any government which fears the loss of control which the status quo allows - by way of economic and resource controls.

*(limits and controls which by the way, are not working out very well for the 99%)

Due to the difficulty of extracting petroleum, and refining it into fuel and oils; the status quo does indeed limit our economic opportunity for free market enterprise - we cannot compete, therefore we are dependent on the systems which control and distribute - resources. Hemp however, allows local industry to compete with global industries by providing multiple resources -from a plant which grows like weed!

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Hemp is personal Freedom and communal Prosperity:

Hemp would improve our local economies by allowing local opportunities.

Hemp will allow communities to produce their own fuel and oils for Vehicles and Heavy Machinery.

Hemp makes Quality Plastics. And with a plastic extruder like the one Open Source Ecology will design; a homesteader with a DIY built machine, can produce their own Plastic Piping, Sheeting, Panels, 3D Printer Stock, and More. As well may small town business produce this products for sale in local stores.

Hemp for clothing can be grown in abundance where cotton cannot. Local folk can turn hemp into fabric, which another turns into clothes, which another adds art or color, and more. Or, a single homesteader may do it all.

Hemp Seeds are super-food. Is 24% Protein. Provides 20 of the amino acids our bodies require - including all 9 of the Essential Amino Acid (-those our healthy bodies cannot produce itself). The Omega 3 and Omega 6 EFA's are in ideal balance for human health. Hemp provides our bodies with Iron and Magnesium and more. Contains phytonutrients which aid our immune systems. When times are tough, and when they are not, this plant is one of few we Must grow - (and it grows like a weed!) (And the rest of the plant is yet used to make necessary things!)

No longer is a community or homestead dependent on big oil, big biz.

There's more:

An individual plant, provides resources for multiple industries - one industries waste is another industries raw material. It grows like a weed, requiring little care, and does not require expensive inputs. The growing and processing of it, need not produce a poisonous waste stream. The Hemp plant provides unique characteristics - such as mold and insect resistance in textile and building products. It's fibers are of a higher strength than many of our current status quo offerings. There's yet more.

Hemp is Freedom.

In my opinion, most of the reasons for making hemp illegal are rubbish. And even the real cases of bad effects,, you could probably find that many cases against panadol!

A 'real' reason for making hemp illegal is so all those people who get a kick out of having an illegal drug (aside from drug effects that is) would have to go and find something far worse.

Hemp was America's biggest cash crop during the colonization days before tobacco. In my personal experience people do drugs because they like the effects not because their illegal. Alcohol and tobacco are as legal as you can get and yet I don't see people shying away from them because its legal. Being illegal might add to the rebellious cool factor, but I think its effects are very minor.

What making a drug illegal does is advertise. I didn't hear about half of the drugs there were before someone told me not to do them. Once people find out about them then they get curious.

It seems they are making progress. Hopefully they won't be met with too many political and culture resistance.

Industrial Hemp is NOT Marijuana !!
- just sayin'

Yea, when i think about it, many new drugs become very popular very quickly before becoming illegal shortly after.

So that begs the question as to why those drugs became very illegal very fast verses the reasons why Hemp is illegal.... there is not much of a similarity at all.

The only reasons i can figure for Industrial Hemp to be illegal, is that it competes so thoroughly with global conglomerates. And, Hemp loosens the economic and resource constraints as imposed by fascist government.

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One of the reasons i figure Marijuana is illegal, is that it provides cultural leverage. In the form of Monetary Proceed with Power, it provides Intelligentsia, allows points of entry for Agent Manipulation, opens agent Access to other subcultures, grants soldiers, harvests meatheads, manipulates society.

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By the way: i'm recently stoned on Marijuana (is legal in state of Washington though not in the u.s. Fah!) My first high since the winter of 2013. With no tolerance from regular use, the mind medicine of it works wonder. One aspect for me, is that it helps me delve deep into creative and other states of mind which are not normally present in my normal day to day (more analytical and cause-affect based thinking,). These altered states, bring new learning"s, expand understandings, inspire new thought and experience, adds spice to life, increase quality of life. Mind and Spirit Medicine.

What i have experienced over the years with people who smoked a little bit more 'grass' than usual, they were all of 'darker' character - but pretty much exactly similar to people who drink too much.

Freedom Lullaby

http://youtu.be/cKli-sieOi0?t=11s

We will need a lot more hemp before we're through?

If hemp were legal in my region; i'd buy some local made shirts, from local grown hemp, which i'd add my art to then sell internationally via the net. Locally Sourced, Value Added, Exportable Goods. Very good for local economies.

Agreed with no question nor counter comment.

Our gov does indeed resist our freedom. There is no doubt, i've bumped into enough roadblocks to know. But as more people awake from this fascist nightmare of resource and economic control, as they are pushed further to the point of requiring self-sufficiency and local food security in order to survive - be it rising oil prices, rampaging storms and quakes, economic drama, whatever;

If hit fan, stuff does do,
We will be requiring self-sufficient systems anyhow. So why not break from status quo now. Be ready and established for ones best case scenario in a greater worst case scenario. But of more immediate joy, is the marked increase to the quality of local and personal life - particularly for those in poverty and just at, but all benefit in local economy when the lowest paid are paid proper for quality life with a little excess to spend supporting local businesses. Where human have extra cash, human buy stuff. The masses, even an off-grid mass, will still buy trinkets and baubles, in fact they will have more money to buy them with.

I understood that reference.

I mentioned this several weeks ago and it still makes me laugh. In Colorado, where pot is legal, The Girl Scouts have been barred from selling their cookies outside of Pot Shops.

Can you imagine the wad they would have made had they been allowed to do that!? The Girl Scouts would have been able to buy out Bill Gates and Donald Trump all in one go!