Becuase Everything Else Sucks

California Considers Hemp Pilot Program

By Manila Ryce
Published Thursday, August 23rd, 2007, 8:26 pm
Filed under: Economic, Society/Culture: Drugs, Society/Culture: Law/Order, Environment, Society/Culture, US Politics

A newly proposed law in California would establish a five-year pilot program for farmers to grow industrial hemp in four counties. The law would also define “industrial hemp” as separate from marijuana under the state’s health and safety code.

Hemp is a sustainable and environmentally friendly crop which contains less than 1 percent of THC. It is used in skin products, as fertilizer, medicine, building material, fabric, paper, fuel, and can be converted into fully biodegradable plastics. The United States is the only industrialized nation where hemp is not an established crop, much to the delight of oil, coal, and chemical industries which benefit from the ban.

Cultivation of hemp is currently illegal under US federal law thanks to the lobbying of the aforementioned groups. The California Narcotic Officers’ Association has testified that the passage of such a bill would only make law enforcement more difficult because farmers might hide illegal marijuana in their legal hemp fields. I could be wrong, but it seems like this association is either admitting that they’re too incompetent to do their jobs correctly, or they’re making the case for the legalization of marijuana so that they’re not forced to make the distinction. Either way, I say let the layoffs begin.

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20 Responses to “California Considers Hemp Pilot Program”

  1. Light ‘em if ya got ‘em!
    What did I just say?
    Hmmm… brownies…

    Rowdy
    08/24/07 at 9:53 am

  2. Somebody say brownies?

    WillySF
    08/24/07 at 2:07 pm

  3. […] By Manila Ryce The Largest Minority Published Thursday, August 23rd, 2007, 8:26 pm […]

    California Considers Hemp Pilot Program By Manila Ryce « Dandelion Salad
    08/24/07 at 4:22 pm

  4. Awww shit….

    OK, I smell brownies… who’s holdin’ back?

    :-\

    Infopro
    08/24/07 at 9:08 pm

  5. Sorry fellas, I just don’t have the patience to make the ganja butter. Mary Jane comes over every so often, but she never brings along Betty Crocker.

    Manila Ryce
    08/24/07 at 10:33 pm

  6. Who cares if it will make cop’s jobs harder? The Bill of Rights was in effect simply an attempt to make the police’s job harder. The whole philosophy behind this country’s founding was to limit police powers to the minimum required. A necessary evil.

    This ban screws up that balance. When an entire industry is banned to the detriment of thousands of non-criminals, simply because police are concerned that it might make it harder to catch the minority of criminals (non-violent ones at that) then things are way out of whack.

    craig
    08/25/07 at 1:41 am

  7. Thirty-five years ago, I was convinced that MJ would surely be legalized within 20 years. Sigh. It’s a sad world we live in. A natural product that has such a variety of commercial, medicinal & social value’s, to be consistantly denied by the “powers that be” because of the inability to control & tax. The negative effect legalization & development would have on existing venue’s, ie. cotton, fuel, pharmaceuticals, police confiscation auctions, the environment… MJ will NEVER be legalized until Uncle Sam can find MAJOR profits in the legalization of “killer weed”! Gotta go, trying to remember the Hendrix concert I went to all those long years ago!

    Christina
    08/25/07 at 7:05 am

  8. […] The Largest Minority: The United States is the only industrialized nation where hemp is not an established crop, much to […]

    California Considers Hemp Pilot Program « The Budz
    08/25/07 at 7:25 am

  9. Here from the Crooks and Liars newsletter. On the whole, I agree with you. The last line, however, though pithy, loses you all of my good will. That kind of thoughtless disregard for other people’s lives and livelihoods is unacceptable, even if it’s only in pursuit of a clever closing to an otherwise good article (and I would not like to think it’s any more serious than that). I doubt you’d be so unconcerned if it were you and your family facing layoffs.

    Rachel
    08/25/07 at 8:00 am

  10. Why is it that Pot Headz can’t just band together, and….. *sniff sniff* are those.. brownies??? Can I have one? *sucksucksuck gag* plz? this dirt’s killin my lungz!

    No, seriously. This kind of news depresses me consistently, because for as long as it’s been going on - ppl banding together to talk about all the hemptacular uses of the plants and why they should be legal - there is not much that is ever done to truly correct it… just enough to play rebellious against the Fedz. Even this notion of a pilot program could be, in effect, stopped by the DEA or any Federal Jurisdiction law enforcement, right? or am I wrong? Of course it brings up States’ Rights issues, and California is much more progressive than the oppressive sandbar of Florida that I live on, but still. That’s one hell of an uphill climb if the federal levels decided to act, no? I guess I’ll have to read through the website and find out just how much you guys are doing to advance the cause beyond your immediate smoking circle.

    …ummm……. plllleeeeeaaaaaase can I have a brownie?? ^_^

    ^Holy_Smokes^
    08/25/07 at 8:27 am

  11. oh, and Rachel… what else do you think would happen to the extra police officers in these narcotics departments who essentially eke out their living on busting marijuana users? Personally I would prefer they be pithy and tell the truth than to ignore the reality that this IS the tradeoff necessary if the war on drugs (even just mary jane) is stopped. To ignore this and have any semblance of wanting to stop the drug war or champion hemp (the two are unfortunately, delicately intertwined) as alternative fuel/fabric/everything, is the more egregious neglect of and “thoughtless disregard for other people’s lives and livelihoods”.

    And the point is that their families are not making a living - witting or unwitting - from incarcerating ppl for exercising the same civil liberties as the most mild alcohol user. So advocating the war on drugs for ‘a pithy statement’ is much more egregious, if one were to stand your own scrutiny up to your distasteful nitpicking. ;-P

    ^Holy_Smokes^
    08/25/07 at 8:35 am

  12. What a crock: “farmers might hide illegal marijuana in their legal hemp fields.” That cop obviously doesn’t know what ‘Sensimilla’ means (no seeds).

    All the hemp pollen from these industrial hemp acres will contaminate the MJ grower’s crops and Sensimilla will become a fond memory, like decriminalized posession! This is a disaster!!1!

    Industrial hemp means more expensive pot, as growers will have to grow only indoors and use micron-sized air filters to prevent pollenation.

    Only the DEA (lazy cops like the one mentioned in the article) and hard-core growers stand in the way of industrial hemp.

    Comrade Rutherford
    08/25/07 at 8:53 am

  13. […] The Largest Minority: The United States is the only industrialized nation where hemp is not an established crop, much to […]

    California Considers Hemp Production « The Invisible Opportunity
    08/25/07 at 9:58 am

  14. Great information at http://bigeye.com/marijuana.htm

    Randolph Bourne
    08/26/07 at 1:36 pm

  15. […] looks as though California’s going to be chasing after North Dakota to grow industrial hemp. Here’s the story: A newly proposed law in California would establish a five-year pilot program for farmers to grow […]

    California considers growing industrial hemp « Later On
    08/27/07 at 2:16 pm

  16. Very Interesting.

    Michael
    08/27/07 at 5:22 pm

  17. This idea of Hemp Farming is, as far as I’m concerned, a no-brainer. (Pun not intended. Sorry!) The benefits of industrial hemp are just so numerous and viable, I really can’t proceed to list them all without writing some kind of book.

    As far as drug enforcement, the idea that hemp farmers could hide Indiga plants within the Sativas is indeed a valid concern. The simplest answer would be to legalize marijuana. I mean seriously, forget about the slippery slope guys. I personally believe economic factors will keep users in check far better than punitive ones. Think about it, alcohol is legal, but if you’re caught intoxicated on the job, your ass is fired! And rightly so! I don’t see how this economic couldn’t work for weed as well. Companies would, and should, still be allowed to test for drugs. You fail, you’re fired. Simple. We really don’t need punitive laws.

    Of course, there I go getting all reasonable and rational again. We all know that the legalization of marijuana has no place in the Idiocracy. Therefore, if the Christian-crats insist on keeping marijuana criminalized, then once again, the law can be enforced through economical means. Basically, if you’re caught growing THC plants in a sensimilla field, you face fines and possibly the loss of you farm. With such a potential cash crop, who the hell would want to risk it. That should appease the ChristianoFacists while providing us with such a necessary renewable resource.

    Just a thought.

    PapaFigue
    08/30/07 at 7:40 pm

  18. I think marijuana should be legalised. Its really not a big deal. My friend lives in california we he can grow. He uses a m grow box. He has a card and can do so legally and its even perscribed by a doctor. After his accident, he lost he appetitie. With marijuana he has it back, and feels less pain. Why shouldnt he get his natural medicine?

    Marijuana Growth
    09/9/07 at 8:17 pm

  19. Good morning! I was surfing the internet Tuesday afternoon during my break, and found your blog by searching MSN for growing marijuana indoors. This is a topic I have great interest in, and follow it closely. I liked your insight on fornia Considers Hemp Pilot Program - The Largest Minority, and it made for good reading. Keep up the good work…

    Grow Box Hydroponics Guru
    09/11/07 at 2:26 am

  20. […] read more | digg story […]

    Top Enviromental News » California Considers Hemp Pilot Program
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