Changing to a hemp-based economy could help solve financial, manufacturing and water crises

Mr. President, despite what you think, legalizing hemp would improve the economy, and a lot of other things too. We know you're busy so a digital signature ending the war on drugs would be wise if it is science driving policy. Anything else is an oppression.

Since the president is planning to continue federal oppression of the American people by keeping it illegal to interact with nature, the only salvation hope available is on a state level.

Originally published in WEST COAST LEAF www.westcoastleaf.com Vol 2 No. 1 Spring 2009

Changing to a hemp-based economy could help solve financial, manufacturing and water crises

By Richard M. Davis, USA Hemp Museum

It is within the Constitutional power of Californians to kick the hemp revolution into high gear and free the plant to do its economic magic on the State.

The regional capacity is enormous. Hemp can be grown as a second crop on 700 square miles of rice fields in California equaling 448,000 acres, producing 5,000 pounds or two and one half tons per acre. That’s 1,120,000 tons of hemp that can be burned for electricity in existing or new regional biomass plants, or made into paper, textile, plastics, building materials, auto alcohol fuels or any of 50,000 viable products that keep the money in our State – the eighth largest economy in the world.

An that is just the rice crop; hemp could entirely replace the state’s cotton crop – 451,000 acres in 2007 for another 1,120,000 tons of hemp. (In 2008, 9.5 million acres of cotton were planted in the US.) Half the state alfalfa crop planted as hemp equals at least another 1,120,000 tons of hemp. Hemp can help in a big way with water savings, as well, especially if agronomist work to breed drought-resistant cultivars rather than low-THC strains.

California voters broke the 60-year hemp prohibition with Prop 215 and freed medical cannabis. The people must next free the whole hemp plant.

The voters could again do it directly by the initiative process, like Prop 215. The legislature or governor could pass a bill or put a referendum on the ballot. The grand juries or courts could also initiate a due process hearing in the public interest.

The state and global economic crisis will not be fully solved until hemp is restored to its natural place in society.

However, the ‘big banks’ are part of the problem. North Dakota already has a state bank that loans money to farmers at one percent interest. Proponents of cannabis plant should consider the need for a California State Bank, where we put our taxes and fees, and print our own debt-free state Greenbucks* to finance our own recovery.

*Ellen Hogson Brown, The Web Of Debt: The shocking truth about our money system and how we can break free. 2008. www.webofdebt.com

http://www.westcoastleaf.com/2-1/2-1news.htm

For more on hemp please visit the USA Hemp Museum, www.hempmuseum.org , a private museum with a virtual wing.

Keep on kickin' up the hemp evolution.