E-mail address: [email protected]
This is the myspace headquarters for Michihemp, the Michigan pro-industrial hemp campaign. THIS IS NOT A PRO-MARIJUANA CAMPAIGN!!! Though they are both related species, on this page "hemp" is NOT "marijuana". If you are looking for a Michigan pro-marijuana campaign, check out NORML.
Sometime back in the 1930's, it was decided that marijuana should be made illegal. Along with it came industrial hemp, onto the Controlled Substances Act. Industrial hemp has a miniscule THC content, one would have to smoke a jount the dimensions of a telephone pole to get any sort of buzz off of hemp. It is time for industrial hemp to get off of the Controlled Substances Act and planted into American soil!
Hemp is a miracle plant. It can make about 25,000 products including paper, fuel, cosmetics, building materials, cleaning materials, textiles, and plastics. Industrial hemp contains negligable to no THC molecules (a THC concentration of 0.3% or less). But because it is a cousin of the marijuana plant, it is labeled as a "drug" under the Controlled Substances Act.
What will it mean for the country if industrial hemp returns to American farms? As it stands, the United States is the number one importer of hemp. That is 250 million dollars that could be kept inside our borders and profiting our farmers. Also, if hemp were to be allowed to grow again, it would give farmers the opportunity to grow a very successful and profitable crop. Hemp is very easy to grow and actually brings nutrients back into the soil, rather than depleting nutrients like other crops do. The United States could be the fore-runner of using hemp as fuel for automobiles, and lessen the dependence on foreign petroleum. If 6% of American land were devoted to growing hemp, the amount of fuel produced from those crops would supply the United States for a year. Hemp is also much more efficient than corn as a fuel.
What will it mean for Michigan? You know all those auto plants that are shutting down, and the thousands of people who have already lost their job and the thousands that will soon? Hemp can create a whole new industry and can bring workers back to work! For starters, Michigan farms would be a great place to grow hemp. Then someone is needed to transform the raw hemp into products such as plastic, paper, textile, building material, fuel. That's where those empty factories figure in. Then, someone is needed to retail the hemp products.
Hemp is part of American history. Our first flag was made out of hemp fabric, and our Constituion was written on hemp paper. Many of the forefathers of this country tended to their own hemp crop. Industrial hemp was allowed to grow during World War Two for its superior strength as canvas and rope. Hemp makes the strongest textile material. Just about every part of the plant can be used to make a product.
So let's make a change! It is time for America to wake up!
