|
The war on hemp
By Cathy Kropp/Guest Column
 Cathy Kropp
|
|
In this time of national crisis and rising tensions between nations, our government has somehow found the time to declare a second war.
“On whom?” you may ask. Well, the answer is not on whom but on what. Hemp, the non-psychoactive relative to the marijuana plant has once again been singled out by drug war officials. Used for years to manufacture everything from clothing to rugs, to candles and cosmetics, hemp is one of the most versatile plants in the world. But it is not these items that the current focus has been on. Instead, it is on the use of hemp seeds and oils in food products. Hemp is one of the top food sources in the world in that it has high levels of fiber, protein and fatty acids, which are essential for our health.
Yet, the government claims that the trace amounts of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) that may be found on the shells of unclean hemp seeds may alter drug-testing results in the workplace. They are working to pass a law that bans the sale of any consumable goods that have hemp as an ingredient. Not only is this drug-test notion ridiculous, it is completely and utterly false. A person would have to drink over half a cup of pure hemp oil over a period of several days in order for even slight THC levels to register in drug tests.
What makes this case any different from poppy seeds? Could it be the simple fear of the relation between the hemp and marijuana plants themselves? If so, this fear is totally refutable in that hemp does not have the sizable levels of THC needed to produce the “high” that marijuana does. In fact, studies have shown that one could smoke a hemp cigarette the size of a telephone pole and only end up with a severe headache and nothing else.
It is up to us to notify the public about these changes and raise our voices in opposition. Due to laws that are being passed, such as this one, the campus chapter of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is dedicating the rest of the semester to educating the public on hemp issues, including this new law.
Not only is this governmental decision a waste of time and money, it is simply a joke. There are much better things our government should be focusing on.
|
|
|
|
Privacy Policy Network Advertising Article Syndication
|
|
