53 lines
2.7 KiB
Plaintext
53 lines
2.7 KiB
Plaintext
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ntrimbac@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Nicholas Trimbac) writes:
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> I'm still undecided as to wether or not hemp should be lagalized. On of the
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>arguments I hear over and over again is that 'in one acre of hemp there is the
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>equivalent of 10 acres of trees' or some such.
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> While this may be true is it really a reason to support legalization of hemp.
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> What if the genetic wizards removed the genetic code for the production of
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>THC. Would you quit fighting for the legalization of hemp? After all this
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>seems to be one of the biggest prolegalization arguments.
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> As I've said I haven't made up my mind one way or the other. I'm not trying
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>to be antagonistic either...just questioning....
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*----
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You don't have to oppose the legalization of hemp for commercial purposes
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to be in favor of legalizing it for recreational use. One of the reasons
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I have no respect for NORML is their reluctance to admit that recreatonal
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use the the primary reason most of us care about the legalization issue in
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the first place. Would there be such an outcry if poison ivy were illegal?
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Unfortunately, the commercial/environmental issue is very weak. There
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are lots of good oil-seed plants (rapeseed is very popular these days)
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and many are superior to hemp. Likewise, hemp has a big advantage for
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paper over trees, but there are many other plants that are appropriate
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for paper making (and we'd have a pretty decent impact on the environment
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if we'd just stop bleaching paper so much no matter where it comes from).
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Likewise, you'd be hard pressed to convince the textile industry that
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hemp is so vastly superior to other sources of cloth fiber (though it
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certainly would have a niche).
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As you point out, it would be a real blow to most of the people in the
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legalize-hemp-for-all-the-wrong-reasons movement if it WERE legalized
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for the commercial purposes but only if genetically altered to give a
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disappointing high.
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Finally, you can't ignore the economic reality. A hemp legalization
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movement would take decades to establish. You are talking about
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revolutionizing the paper, textile, and vegetable oil industries.
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Do you think the people who hold jobs under the status quo are going'
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to take such an upheaval lying down? There will always be people
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willing to chop down forests if the price is right.
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So basically, I recommend that you advocate legalization for reasons
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that you truly believe. While I have been involved in environmental
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issues for a very long time, I don't see that legalization of hemp
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will have any significant benefits overall. But there would be an
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incredible impact on crime if it were legalized for recreational use.
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The savings in law enforcement and court costs would pay for a lot
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environmental improvements.
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--
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Mike Berger
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Internet berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
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