Industrial hemp

[felp]

Can Industrial Hemp truly make a huge difference in the world, as so many claim?
Is it the environmental sollution we so sorely need?
Can it help fight world hunger?

There are all points that are constantly debated, let's find out what the experts (you) think.


note - I will debate my arguments a little later. Fist i want to see what everyone else says.

[squealpiggy]

Fact: Hemp makes better paper than woodpulp and is easier to replenish and cheaper to produce.

Fact: William Randolph Hurst held massive stocks in wood pulp paper

Fact: William Randolph Hurst used his publishing empire to vilify use of a drug called Marijuana, derived from the hemp plant

Growing hemp is virtually outlawed in the states because of it's relation to the "killer drug" Marijuana. Despite the fact that smoking hemp is roughly akin to smoking... wood. Could it be that William Randolf Hurst threw a spanner in the works to unfairly take competition out of the running because he had mistakenly invested in an inferior product? I'm not saying.

[Ferret Pie]

how is marijuana a killer drug? i can't be bothered to argue this until there is a proper debate so don't be angry or expect much reply. Hemp is a versatile substance so it should be grown and used for many things including paper If someone decides to make mass amounts of weed from it then good for him/her.

[squealpiggy]

I've added quote marks around the term "killer drug". Marijuana is not a killer drug except at parties. You can have a great party which is swiftly killed the moment that someone passes round a bong then everyone gets out of their face!

I have no problem with hemp, though quite how it would solve world hunger I have no idea... My post was pointing out the theory that a very powerful man spread poisonous rumours about hemp products in order to help his stock portfolio. The swine.

[Amazing Morris]

Canabis is not a killer drug as such but smoking it carries 3 times the risk of getting cancer than tobacco.
You can always eat it but for some reason cooking it enhances it's negative effects such as paranoia.

Peace out

[PoofBird]

Hemp is known for two great qualities:

1: THC, the stuff that gets you high
2: Fibres, the fibres are strong and high quality, usable to make paper, clothing and vegetarian hamburgers.

Fact: hemp that is high on THC, has weak fibres.
Fact: hemp that has fibres strong enough to be interesting for industrial purposes, is very low on THC

If you want to get high on Industrial Hemp, you'd have to smoke an entire encyclopedia, a 3 piece suit, and the late Linda McCartney back catalogue.

Politicians know these facts, yet do not act accordingly.
Why?
Ignorant masses. The man in the street fears the unknown and will vote for another party, if the ruling politicians do anything about it.

[squealpiggy]

Originally posted by Amazing Morris
Canabis is not a killer drug as such but smoking it carries 3 times the risk of getting cancer than tobacco.
You can always eat it but for some reason cooking it enhances it's negative effects such as paranoia.

Peace out

I would be wary of quoting such statistics as fact. The actual figures from tests are often twisted by skilled stisticians to fit whatever theory they're wanting to expund. Anything that you burn and ingest or inhale has carcinogenic qualities, so there is no safe smoke. But to say that it is three times the cancer risk without explaining exactly how they came about those figures is misleading.

Poofbird, what you say is true which is the reason why I have no confidence in democracy. I propose a new world order of benevolent philosopher kings, populated by myself and selected others, with a presidential figurehead of state (this could be weebl). Who is with me!? Noone? Oh... uh... right

[PoofBird]

benevolent philosopher kings is the way to go, and i'm up for the job...

Democracy is the next best thing though, any may not be could, but it's the best we have.

in the news here: German politicians attack Dutch cannabis policy. They do not understand it.

fs, sure they do. They have spin doctors, they have people digging through every magazine and newspaper in the free world and outside, they have scientific research centers.
those people know the fact. they just can't sell it to the voters, so they'll choose to be against it.

i chose canabis as an example, so not to go off topic to much ;)

[felp]

Originally posted by Amazing Morris
Canabis is not a killer drug as such but smoking it carries 3 times the risk of getting cancer than tobacco.
You can always eat it but for some reason cooking it enhances it's negative effects such as paranoia.

Peace out

even though the topic was not on the THC side of the drug, I feel I should clear this up. This "cancer fact" is actually not in evidence yet, and although it holds merit, it has actually been proven wrong... and also proven correct, the Berkeley carcinogenic tar studies of the late 1970's found "marijuana is one-and-a-half times more carcinogenic then tobacco"

however acording to Dr. Donald Tashkin's UCLA studies - 1969-97 and UCLA Pulmonary Studies, 1969-97 that only one of the 29 areas of the human lung studied (the large air passageway) did discover maj to be more of an irritant (by 15 times) then tobacco. But he also notes that tobacco has almost no effect in this area hence the figures weren't high (no pun intended) for marj. Also In America there has been no recording of a maj related cancer of the lungs (up till 1997 - my sources are old) Also another thing to keep in mind is that any tissue abnormality is called a pre -cancerous lesion and unlike tobacco those related to THC are NOT radioactive (yes ciggies are, but that's another story) Also in 1997 Dr Tashkin reported to author and researcher Jack Herer that not one of his mnay long term studies (begun in the late 60's and early 70's) that smoked cannibs only went on to develop lung cancer. Not a single one.

Now back to the actual topic (for now):

Yes all the points above about it's fiber are true, but most people don't realise that cannabis/hemp can also replace oil lit lamps and other oil products along with being the best possible producer of biomass energy. We can litterally run cars on processed hemp, and it's actually better for the environment because it does not give off any sulfur bi product.
It can also be used in paints and varnishes
It has obvious medicinal use, but that is not really industrial hemp, more so the "other".
Now the way some extremests predict it can solve world hunger is simple really - the plant itself is one of few that can grown in vertually any climate, and it has the highest ammount of essential fatty acids in the plant kingdom and it's seed (in the past) was reguarly used in porridge, soups and gruels - whilst I don't think the extremists have proven it's capable of solving world hunger - it does stand to increase the healthy diet of anyone, regardless of food income, which would inturn increase health in the thrid world (well that's a bit simplified and exaggerated, but yes).

Interesting facts to note:

1 acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees (acording to the US Dep. of Agriculture)
During the second world wat the US allowed farmers to grow hemp - in fact released a video called "hemp for victory" because they needed the supplies for paracutes, shoe bits etc
Germany also relased something similar a cartoon (cant remember the tittle off had, will post it if requested to though)