cannabisnews.com: Bill To Legalize Hemp Goes Up in Smoke Bill To Legalize Hemp Goes Up in Smoke Posted by FoM on May 24, 2001 at 09:08:08 PT By Ken Hambleton, Lincoln Journal Star Source: Lincoln Journal Star One senator's innovation is a door to horror for another. Sen. Gene Tyson of Norfolk said the legalization of the production of industrial hemp could tap potential growth and profit for Nebraska farmers. Sen. Jim Jensen of Omaha said allowing industrial hemp to be grown in Nebraska "is scary, because in fact, kids are going to try this, and eventually try the real stuff and you'll have to call paramedics to revive them." Somewhere in between there could be a resolution to a bill that would open the Nebraska market to the cultivation of industrial hemp - a plant related to, but without the hallucinogenic properties of, marijuana. But the Legislature will not decide the issue until next January, because bill sponsor Sen. Ed Schrock of Elm Creek bracketed LB273 after a long discussion Wednesday afternoon. Many opponents, including the Nebraska State Patrol, believe that allowing the industrial hemp, which lacks the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to create a high, will lead to confusion for law enforcement agencies. "It looks like marijuana and it opens the door to too many negative things," Lt. Rhonda Lahm of the State Patrol said. "It would create a conflict of federal and state law. Federal law prohibits the growth of any cannabis sativa, no matter what the level of THC is." Susie Dugan of Omaha Pride said allowing the growth of industrial hemp could confuse children and "sends the wrong message and could promote more marijuana use by Nebraska children." Schrock proposed the bill because industrial hemp has been grown and used throughout the world to produce paper, fiber, rope, clothing, bricks, shingles, wildlife cover and cosmetics. "No matter how much of this stuff you smoke you cannot get high," he said. "I would be the last one in the Legislature to promote the legalization of marijuana, but this is almost the anti-marijuana." When industrial hemp cross-pollinates with marijuana, THC levels are reduced to hemp's levels. Hemp was a staple crop in the birth of the United States - in the manufacture of sails, paper, even the first American flag. But its use dropped with the invention of synthetics and cotton blends and in 1937, when the federal government criminalized marijuana use. Sen. Eliane Stuhr of Bradshaw argued the cultivation of hemp was a money-loser and there was already a surplus of the material. She noted that Illinois passed a similar bill that was vetoed this year. Schrock pointed out that farmers would not have to grow hemp and that passage of the bill would not lead to hemp farming until approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The bill also required that farmers would have to be licensed and cleared by the DEA. Sen. Dwite Pedersen of Elkhorn said that requirement alone scares him from the bill. "If it's not dangerous, why do we have to have farmers fingerprinted and their backgrounds checked?" he asked. Schrock said a major detriment of the bill is that those who support marijuana's legalization see the measure as the first step. Sen. Ernie Chambers argued that too little real information was debated on the bill. "I have not heard so much misinformation and mythological stuff in a long time," he said. "These groups that are horrified by hemp . . . are not horrified by the new strain of heroin. "This is nonsense. All the arguments are reaches. They say the whole state will go to Hades in a handbasket if we pass this and they are wrong." Reach Ken Hambleton: khambleton journalstar.comSource: Lincoln Journal Star (NE) Author: Ken Hambleton, Lincoln Journal StarPublished: May 24, 2001Contact: oped nebweb.com Website: http://www.journalstar.com/Related Article:Legalization of Hemp Debated http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8434.shtmlCannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #18 posted by Eyes are open on May 25, 2001 at 15:51:27 PT I can't believe I am seeing this with my own eyes. From the "Omaha Pride" page: BLACK TEEN TOBACCO SMOKING LINKED TO POT A study conducted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by the University of Illinois at Chicago finds that tobacco use by African American teens is increasing and is sometimes related to the use of marijuana.The survey indicated a sharp rise in both tobacco and marijuana smoking among all teenagers, but most pronounced in blacks. White adolescents still use tobacco at twice the rate of black teens, but the gap is narrowing, signaling the end of low smoking rates among black teens that had been considered a public health success. In 1,200 focus groups conducted throughout the country, it was found that the abundance of media and advertising messages targeting black neighborhoods and youth are still the main reason for this increase.However, many black youth reported being lured to tobacco use by reports from peers that nicotine helped continue the high of marijuana smoking."It is a commonly-stated motivator," states Professor Robin Mermelstein, principal investigator for the study. This finding is especially notable because it is the reverse of most progressive use of gateway drugs by teens. In almost all other populations, tobacco use precedes marijuana use.----------------------------------------------------I think this, combined with racial disparity in sentencing drug users, speaks to the *true* agenda of the prohibitionists.When the civil rights movement was successful in the 60's, I'm sure prejudiced white people all across the country were wondering, what can we do now to rid our neighborhoods of the "black menace"? Incarcerate them all, and eliminate them from society, that's what they did. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by mayan on May 25, 2001 at 14:31:08 PT Pride-Omaha-ha!!! I think the Pride Omaha site is indicative of who has truth & righteousness on their side. It sure isn't them. I e-mailed them a month ago & listed all of the innacuracies(lies) I found in the hemp section. They didn't respond, nor did I expect them too. How could they defend such blatant misinformation? Surely they are not really that ignorant. They must be funded by some corporation with an anti-hemp agenda. The article pointed out the Illinois bill which was vetoed by our "Captain Corruption" Gov. Ryan, but failed to mention that there is another one on his desk that has a very good chance of passage. It also failed to mention the Montana bill which passed. Another lame excuse for journalism indeed. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Dan Hillman on May 25, 2001 at 12:42:26 PT Nebraska PRIDE backwards, racist. 4D wasn't kidding. Nebraska PRIDE's mj page is a scream. For vintage turn-of-the-century racism tinged with kooky science, see the section titled: BLACK TEEN TOBACCO SMOKING LINKED TO POTHere's that link again:http://www.pride.org/marijuanapage.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by greenfox on May 25, 2001 at 07:20:27 PT Interesting letter Well I wrote this newspaper and I actually got a reply! The reply was this:Douglas *******: As you know, journalists like to pun and sometimes overdo it. I'll refer your letter to our headline writers. They may not be aware that thissort of pun on stories about legalizing marijuana has become a cliché. Thanks for writing to us about this. With best wishes, Kathleen RutledgeManaging editor [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by dddd on May 24, 2001 at 22:20:43 PT Wow! I highly recommend the Marijuana link Harvey providedin the previous post.It is a spectacular example of crazedpropaganda....Thanx Harvey.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Harvey Pendrake on May 24, 2001 at 20:32:11 PT Nebraska -- The Good Life? I've been living in Nebraska all of my life (40 years). Delay of this bill is a disappointment, but hardly a surprise, especially with Susie Dugan and the State Patrol giving the legislature the one-two punch of kids on pot and earnest police performing complicated chemical tests on farm crops. The horror.I think it's funny that Susie Dugan not only reads "High Times", but marks it up and sends copies to State senators, as if it was the bible of drug law reform. I haven't read a copy of "High Times" since about 1980.And the really funny thing is this: hemp grows like crazy all over Nebraska. Everywhere. In the city, rural areas, roadsides and the edges of cornfields. Mother Nature is flipping the bird at the United States government, and the Nebraska legislature...and they're too stupid to figure it out.You can find Pride Omaha at:http://www.pride.org...and their informative marijuana page at:http://www.pride.org/marijuanapage.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Ron Bennett on May 24, 2001 at 15:36:25 PT Industrial Hemp with High-THC... While many people define Hemp as simply being cannabis with a low THC content, this is not correct...it may be politically correct, but certainly isn't scientifically correct. A better way to define hemp is "cannabis intended for industrial purposes" - ie. clothing, rope, etc. High-THC cannabis can make for softer fibers which for some applications, such in clothing, can be beneficial in some instances. Marihemp Network [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Charlie on May 24, 2001 at 15:31:18 PT Trees, CO2 reduction, and hemp... Interesting article...Hopes of using forests to tackle global warming - by storing excess carbon - have received a setback. Researchers in the US are shedding doubt on how effective trees are in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and then releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere... http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1347000/1347068.stmCould hemp do better? [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by PastorMark on May 24, 2001 at 15:09:34 PT Scarlet letters. These sure are some angry comments on this article. Usually, I'd be the first to suggest that everyone just cool out, but in this case I might share the anger. I can tolerate quite a bit, but I can't put up with ignorance from the people who run our country (and in turn, the media). It's almost a witch trial mentality at play here - if Jim Jenson would read some factual information on the topic, at least he could restructure his moronic arguments so they sound like they could be slightly thought out. But no. He has painted himself a mental picture of a 6 year old wandering through a field smoking a hemp t-shirt, then getting a sudden and severe case of yellow fever and having his soul attacked by demons which must be forced out with leeches. I'm especially amused by that part about the plant's appearance and how that will cause kids to want to 'try the real stuff'. Yeah, every time my 12 year old nephew comes over and sees apple juice in the fridge, he wants a keg of beer. Then he looks at the oregano in the spice cabinet and wants some pot. Then he starts sucking lines from the sugar bowl and boiling brown sugar on a spoon -- and don't even get me going with the mushrooms. Enough of that. Pastor Mark [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 24, 2001 at 14:35:58 PT Thanks Charlie If I put " this " around a word or words when I'm posting an article it makes the words disappear too. Some of my titles that don't make any sense that's what happened to them. Medicinal Cannabis Links [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Charlie on May 24, 2001 at 14:23:31 PT Quotes...? I encapsulated a couple quotes with 'greater than' 'less than' signs and presto, they disappeared... html related for suredly...1st one was...Sen. Jim Jensen of Omaha said allowing industrial hemp to be grown in Nebraska "is scary, because in fact, kids are going to try this, and eventually try the real stuff and you'll have to call paramedics to revive them." 2nd was... "It looks like marijuana and it opens the door to too many negative things," Lt. Rhonda Lahm of the State Patrol [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Charlie on May 24, 2001 at 14:14:44 PT Total ignorance Please Europe, Canada, show us the way... because in fact, kids are going to try this, and eventually try the real stuff and you'll have to call paramedics to revive them.">This guy is either 90 years old or lives in a cave. He must know that kids try it anyway regardless whether or not industrial hemp is legal for farmers to grow, that they now purchase it on a black market created by the prohibition of cannabis from a dealer who may offer them something else for far less money but much more dangerous, that those kids he's worried about so much may end up in jail and saddled with a police record leading up to ruined lives thanks to the confused state troopers who are just following orders.The prohibition of cannabis does this quite nicely already, f*ck you, very much... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by TroutMask on May 24, 2001 at 14:06:42 PT Because... Why not one word on Montana Hemp Bill?Because the prohibitionists (including much [most?]) media outlets) must keep up the "we're winning" front! If all the anti-prohibition success news was reported we'd be much closer to ending this BS.How about developments in Canada over the last two weeks!?!?!?Seehttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n933/a03.html?11463http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n933/a07.html?11463http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n934/a04.html?397http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n933/a03.html?397(Most if not all reported here also.)Sorry if I duplicated some. And these are just from the last few days! A BIG BIG change is happening right across the border and I haven't seen a single mention of it anywhere in the US (except at mapinc.org, of course).Yes, it appears that Canada is rapidly turning the corner toward decriminalization and no one in the US seems to know yet... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by ekim on May 24, 2001 at 13:25:56 PT: Why not one word on Montana Hemp Bill Montana's new law, passed by heavy majorities in both houses and signed by Gov. Judy Martz on April 23, won't override federal law. But it puts Montana at the forefront of national efforts to encourage the federal government to allow farmers to grow hemp. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on May 24, 2001 at 11:06:24 PT Brilliant >>"It looks like marijuana and it opens the door to too many negative things," Lt. Rhonda Lahm of the State Patrol said. Ahh, another nark who can't tell a stalk from a bush. And what positive things does prohibition lead us to? Rhonda might think a police state is a positive thing, but most of us who aren't police would disagree. Check out Prime Time Live tonight, they're having an interview with the surviving members of the Peruvian plane from 4/20:http://abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/2020/PRIMETIME_010523_perumissionaries_feature.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on May 24, 2001 at 10:16:45 PT: The "Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!" factor Dan, I definitely share your sentiments on this one.But the problem is, the media outlets are so centralized anymore, they are deathly afraid of seeming outside the herd. To engage in anything original - like a serious treatment of the uses of industrial hemp - is just too shake-in-their-boots frightening to them.But there's something else at work, here, too.Such as: If a truthful article should be seen, read, and comprehended by enough people, and acts as a catalyst for change, some very uncomfortable question will be asked. Questions like: Why are you telling us this now when this information has been around for centuries?. Was there an attempt to suppress this information, and if so, by whom? And what affiliations do you, the media outlets, have with them?Very dangerous questions, with explosive answers. Answers many in the nedia community are well aware of, but will never raise unless they are forced to.So, to deflect such pointed questions, the media devolves into very low comedy, treating a deadly serious matter as something more suitable for a Saturday Morning cartoon.While harmless, desperately ill people die for want of their medicine, textile industries are practically non-existant here, old growth forests are vanishing to make foolscap, and the oil companies get richer form something that Farmer Brown (who's about to lose his farm to a big combine like ADM) could grow.An old Joni Mitchell song just popped into my head: "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot,They took up all the trees and put 'em in a tree museumAnd then they charged all the people 25 bucks just to see 'emHey farmer, farmer; put away your DDT now,Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds & the bees, please.Don't it always seem to go,That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone,They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.Showing my age, maybe, but that's what it looks like to me. Paving paradise...or drilling and strip mining it. Denying the ill the medicine they need. And all under the aegis of 'saving the children'. I hope future generations can forgive us our folly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Pontifex on May 24, 2001 at 09:44:48 PT: A "joint" resolution gone to "pot" Dan, I agree completely. Childish puns in the headlines cast this issue as a trivial counter-culture lifestyle issue, when in fact it is a public health and environmental issue of the gravest importance.What also sickens me about this article is the nonsense in the second paragraph:Sen. Jim Jensen of Omaha said allowing industrial hemp to be grown in Nebraska "is scary, because in fact, kids are going to try this, and eventually try the real stuff and you'll have to call paramedics to revive them."So let me get this straight -- kids are going to smoke industrial hemp, which is about as palatable as smoking newspaper, and this will motivate them to try "the real stuff"?And when they do ingest THC, they'll slip into a coma and require expert medical assistance to recover?As long as we're ignoring the facts, why not say they'll start giving blowjobs to cows, lose 80 IQ points and become axe-murdering psychopaths requiring round-the-clock psychiatric care? Or is that a little too close to home for some of Sen. Jim Jensen's relatives?Come on, Sen. Jensen, let's hear some real Reefer Madness! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on May 24, 2001 at 09:20:47 PT: Enough! I have to comment on this because it is driving up the wall. If I see the phrase "Up In Smoke" in one more cannabis-related article, I am going to go ballistic. Do these idiots really think they are being creative? Do they not read the titles of well-publicized articles written by their peers? Can they not write a serious article about this very serious topic? Must they continue to bombard the American public with their idiot puns and references to Cheech and Chong every time they mention industrial hemp or medical marijuana? There is nothing funny about global environmental destruction. There is nothing funny about denying medicine to sick and dying patients, however controversial. There is nothing funny about 500,000 Americans behind bars for nonviolent drug "offenses." Dispense with the puns already. This war is serious.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: