The Case for the Commercialization/Industrialization of Cannabis

2012-03-20T10:07:39Z

The Case for Industrialization of Cannabis:
Did you know? " In the 14th century, the traditional Chinese art of making paper arrived in Germany via Italy. Exclusively used as raw material were rags from flax and hemp textiles. Wood based paper came into use only after mechanical and chemical pulping was developed in the mid eighteen hundreds in Germany and England, respectively. Because of the significantly lower costs of wood, often obtained by clear-cutting, flax and hemp as resources for the pulping industry were rapidly displaced. "(Hemp research and market development in Germany-A status report for 1994
Michael Karus1 and Gero Leson2
1. nova - Institute for Political and Ecological Innovation, Thielstrasse 35, 50354 Hürth/Cologne, Germany
2. nova - Institute for Political and Ecological Innovation, Santa Monica, USA)

Hemp was grown commercially for industrial purposes into the 1950's. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made it increasingly unprofitable to grow however. Dow Chemical owned the exclusive rights to the sulphuric acid wood pulp patent. Supporting the illegalization of marijuana of course would allow Dow to corner the market on paper products. Cannabis (Hemp) plants produce some of the finest, cleanest paper, some of the finest machine oils and natural oil-based paints, and high quality food grade oils which are high in some essential amino acids, including the rare gamma linoleic acid (GLA) found almost exclusively in mother's milk. Hemp produces textile materials for clothing of such quality as fine linen.

Hemp plants are essentially pest resistant, negating the need for pesticides. The plants (unlike "Marijuana" plants) grow so tightly packed that they squeeze out weeds, negating the need for herbicides. Hemp plants per acre repair more ozone than the Amazon. They can be grown in heavy metal toxic soils, yet produce plants that are essentially free of these toxins. Industrial hemp was cultivated so that the TCH content was so low as to have very little psychoactive potential. At the same time, we know that high grade "medical marijuana" can have a host of documentable beneficial medicinal effects, including fighting the cachexia and pain of cancer.

Aside from fear and ignorance, can somebody please tell me why we are not pushing for the re-birth of the commercial hemp and flax industries? Don't we owe that to the promotion of environmental health if nothing else. 50% of the pesticides are used on cotton, which could easily be replaced again with Hemp. Wood pulp could be replaced with Hemp, preserving our forest. Clearing hemp fields leaves behind land that is ripe for the planting of other crops without the use of pesticides/herbicides to prepare the soil.

Should our fear that all of our kids are going to turn into worthless potheads keep us from exploring a natural resource that could provide us with a lot of environmental and health solutions? Weigh in and tell me what you think about it please!

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The Case for the Commercialization/Industrialization of Cannabis