Why hemp should be made legal

What is hemp? Hemp is a low THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) strain of Cannabis sativa, or marijuana. THC is the chemical in marijuana that creates the euphoria that users experience . The amount of THC in hemp is is so low, it provides no euphoric experience and hence is useless as a recreational drug. Despite the difference between the two strains, the U.S. government considers both hemp and marijuana as controlled substances under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970.

Hemp is legally grown in other countries such as Spain, China, Japan, Korea, France, North Africa and Ireland and evidence of its use dates back to ancient civilization. Researchers have found traces of hemp composites in ancient Roman architecture. The Chinese emperor and herbalist, Chen-Nung wrote about hemp's medicinal properties over 5000 years ago. Hemp was legally grown in the United States from the founding of our Republic all the way through the early part of the twentieth century.

Production and cultivation of hemp was threatened after the passage of The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 which required a federal tax stamp for possession of marijuana. The Supreme Court later ruled the act unconstitutional and it was replaced by the much more restrictive Controlled Substance Act in 1970. Since then, it has been virtually impossible for states to allow for the cultivation of hemp since doing so would conflict with federal law.

What is hemp good for? Hemp, unlike marijuana has many industrial and agricultural uses. According to Wikipedia, hemp is a fast growing biomass that requires few pesticides and no herbicides. Hemp can be used to make fabric, paints, bio-fuel and plastics. It is also a highly nutritious food source. It can be ground up into a meal or made into other products  such as cereals, flour and protein powder. "Approximately 44% of the weight of hempseed is edible oils, containing about 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs); e.g., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%). Proteins (including edestin) are the other major component (33%), second only to soy (35%)."[1]

Hemp could become a valuable food source and help us wean ourselves off of our dependence on fossil fuel. The California Green Party supports the legalization of hemp and we urge our constituents to contact their representatives in congress to support H.R. 1831, the "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011."

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp