cannabisnews.com: Strom-Martin Supports Industrial Hemp! 





Strom-Martin Supports Industrial Hemp! 
Posted by FoM on August 15, 1999 at 15:31:30 PT
By Mike Geniella, Press Democrat Bureau 
Source: Press Democrat
UKIAHAs the region's annual marijuana crackdown gets under way, a North Coast lawmaker proposed Friday to allow legal cultivation of industrial hemp, a non-intoxicating form of the cannabis plant.
Assembywoman Virginia Strom-Martin said prohibiting growers from cultivating the potentially highly profitable hemp instead of the illegal variety "makes about as much botanical sense as prohibiting gardeners from growing poppies because one variety is the source of opium.''Industrial hemp is a nontoxic plant that was grown legally in the United States through World War II, when it was used to produce maritime rope in a national "Hemp for Victory'' campaign. Hemp, which can be legally grown in 30 countries around the world, including Canada, France, Germany, Australia and China, has been used to produce paper, building materials, plastics and food protein.Strom-Martin, D-Duncan Mills, said Friday she will introduce a resolution in the state Legislature asking state authorities to consider legalizing hemp in California so it can be grown as an agricultural and industrial crop."Industrial hemp could be of immense benefit to both the economy and the environment of the North Coast, and rural California in general,'' Strom-Martin said.Strom-Martin said it's time for the state to deal "rationally rather than hysterically with a crop whose promise is great and whose time has come.''Attorney General William Lockyer could not be reached Friday for comment on Strom-Martin's call to legalize hemp. But a representative for the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, a state program targeting illegally grown marijuana, contended Friday that for every argument made in favor of hemp legalization, there is one against.The spokesman did not elaborate and declined to be quoted by name.Hemp proponents say it is clear the North Coast would be ideal for growing the non-intoxicating version of cannabis sativa, based on the volume of the potent but illegal variety of cannabis cultivated now.Meanwhile, early results from the state's annual anti-marijuana campaign show that in the first 10 days, nearly 34,000 pot plants were ripped up in Mendocino and Humboldt counties by special teams of dope raiders. That reflects about 75 percent of the statewide total seized so far by CAMP.But authorities say there's so much marijuana growing in the region's rugged backcountry that it will be nearly impossible for CAMP-led teams to raid all the known growing sites, let alone afford agents time to trample through the woods in search of new gardens."There's just an awful lot of marijuana growing out there,'' said Mendocino Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Broin.Broin said about 10 state agents are now working along with the county's two-person pot team to hack down maturing marijuana gardens in Mendocino County.Broin said about 13,400 plants scattered across 42 sites in areas surrounding Boonville and Dos Rios were seized over a four-day period. Last week, almost 14,000 plants were pulled up in the Potter Valley, Willits and Irmulco areas, he said.So far, no arrests have been made. Some weapons have been found at sites where armed growers or their hired guards camp to protect the marijuana gardens."The growers hear the helicopters coming and head for the hills,'' said Broin. "In one way, that's OK because it avoids the potential for confrontation. But we'd still like to hold them accountable.''August 14, 1999© 1998 The Press Democrathttp://www.pressdemo.com/local/news/31835.htmlRelated Article:Pot Farm Larger Than Thought - 8/13/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2482.shtmlCannabis News - Hemp Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by Cory Johnson on March 02, 2000 at 23:03:59 PT:
Hemp for industrial purposes
Hello and how are you doing-Let me get right to the point. My name is Cory Johnson and I am going to school at Spokane Community College. I am righing a argumentitve essay on, hemp should be legalized in the U.S. for industrial purposes, and I was hoping that some one could send me information on why hemp should be legalized for industrial purposes. I would appriciate it greatly.       Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day            Cory Johnson           e-mail: firedancer_420 yahoo.com
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