If Monsanto wanted to make a shit-ton of money, they'd develop a zero-THC strain of hemp, and sell seed.

Since they haven't, I'm guessing it might not be possible.

it has already been bred to be, basically, THC free.

hemp has existed like this for thousands of years.

Cannabis that is grown for THC content has a completely different sort of growth habit and no one would want to plant such cannabis among hemp because they would not want hemp to pollinate cannabis grown for the flowers rather than the stalk.

Kind of similar to the US government making poppies illegal because they can have their substances refined, even if the concentrations start out absurdly low.

the poppies that may be refined into a drug are legal to grow in the U.S. They are in countless gardens across America.

But the govt doesn't want people to know that. I have known that for decades but have never once been interested in using that knowledge for any purpose related to drug activity. Knowledge is neutral - it does not indicate intent.

However, the only time someone has gotten into trouble for this is when someone wrote a book that explained how to refine these common garden plants to make a drug - not the industrial refined version - but a version - it's not illegal to grow those poppies, nevetheless, but if you write something that indicates you have an intent to break the law - the law decided in one case it could single someone out for merely providing information - but not the substance itself to anyone else - though that person did have poppies growing on his land.

so, yes, the poppy that is the basis for heroin is legal to grow in the U.S.

It has never been illegal.

The cannabis that has been grown for centuries to create hemp, however, is illegal - even when it is not possible to create "marijuana" from a single generation of that plant - and even when growing conditions would be adverse for the "marijuana" usage of the plant if hemp were legal.

The law, iow, makes absolutely no sense in any rational way.

But politics are not rational, I have learned.

...but be careful, because you're basically drinking opium. It's a narcotic, and it can kill you.

I have no interest in experimenting with it at all. the only reason I can think of that might make it of interest to me is if I wanted to do a Socrates. so far, I don't.

you would need to smoke a metric ton of the stuff in order to get high, and you'd be dead before that happened.

God, I hope this bill passes! This idiotic prohibition against hemp has gone on long enough.

are we so insane here that we cannot accept the prohibition of hemp was a mistake and correct it?

or is our govt so calcified and so intent on maintaining insane laws, no matter how bad they are, because of irrational fear?

so far, the "insane with irrational fears" are winning.

it's like the whole creationism issue - even though science entirely dismisses the claims of one side - they don't care and continue like killer bees to swarm around govt making it suck more than it needs to.

aren't going to like this. They need to be careful they don't devastate the logging business.

that would benefit everyone.

Who knows, if the feds open the gates on hemp what king of R&D will take place and what they will find.New ways to process,new products. It's a great idea.

I don't understand why pols cannot see the value of opening up an industry that has been closed off for 70 years - because the world has changed a lot during that time.

Prior to the invention of a decorticator that allowed hemp to be retted by machine, rather than hand, hemp farming was hugely labor intensive. We've never had the chance to really explore this agri-product - but so many of its features - it doesn't need a lot of pesticides, it doesn't require great soil - it's useful for phytoremediation to remove toxins from soils - it can replace nearly every petrol product - it can create car bodies and the fuel to power them... or a light rail system.

imagine what could happen if people could have some sort of hope for a nation that doesn't simply react in fear - but acts to create a better future.

well, at least I can dream.

While I'm in favor of hemp being legal, it is usually used as a "red flag" stopper for other things.

Logic rarely if ever applies to anything congress does these days.

Edit: upon reflection. since only 21% of all bills have passed during Obama Presidency. The hemp provision may have been thrown in knowing that the bill will probably fail and had no problem with "going for broke" by inserting it.

I'm still reading through the actual bill so I still reserve the right to change my mind. LOL

Edit #2: After just reading the table of contents, there is a lot of very good stuff in this bill that would help a lot of people in the lower economic levels of our society. Which means it will probably fail.

because... I dunno... because they're Republicans?

never the less, yeah, repukes will be repukes. Especially if it's a bill that benefits the poor and average folks.

I have an overwhelming urge to post a tarantino movie video here but I won't...hopefully.

so, who knows if this was just to give the pol a good talking point among constituents. wouldn't it be loverly and ironic if it passed anyway. I'm still waiting to see if any lawyers make any strides toward declaring Congress' approval of the DC mmj law is a violation of the equal protection clause. I would love it if they legalized via the backdoor and didn't know it. But, not holding out much hope for that one either - but it would put an end to this mess without requiring anyone to do anything politically courageous.

oops. couldn't stop myself.

I don't really think legislative battles are like this. more people might pay attention if they were.

now

being widely produced here because many a "stakeholder" would have their bottom line impacted.

I still lean there. Most have no clue how many uses for the plant and it's oil there are.

initially, yes, I think hemp presented competition from those FDR-hating, fascist-supporting DuPonts and their new product.

now, I think such issues become so bureaucratized and the maze of laws created for opportunistic political reasons, over decades, become so byzantine that politicians are just too fucking lazy and lacking in any integrity to worry about the repercussions of their stupidity.

...for instance, with the recent warnings about a "tipping point" - hemp and solar power would be PERFECT products to invest in, as a nation, to create a better future.

but the plutocrats don't want that and their lobbies create the gravy train that cause pols to kiss those plutocratic asses. not saying what that gravy train is...

yeah, I am so disgusted with American politics - and too many Americans.

And that's saying something!

It's being grown in China, Canada, and Europe and being imported here. We can import it, but our farmers can't grow it. How fucking stupid is that?

We had wild hemp left over from the WWII "Hemp for Victory" program growing all over the Midwest. You could smoke a joint the size of a telephone poll and all you'd get is a cough and a headache.

American cops claim they're too stupid to be able to tell the difference between hemp and pot.

I bet hemp produces an IR signature and UV signature very similar to canabis, if not the same.

It could be much easier to hide a weed growing op in a legal hemp field.

because weed that is grown for its psychoactive properties would not attain the same level of potency.

Female cannabis plants ONLY are grown to create strains for recreational use - to avoid pollination.

In order to keep any female plants from pollination, someone would need to plant them at least 50 ft away (with plant barriers around a field) from any other cannabis.

cannabis grown for THC is now, generally, a hybrid of sativa and indica cannabis sp.

hemp is sativa. it's tall. indica is short and bushy. sativa and indica has different sorts of effects, growth habits and climate conditions necessary for bloom.

If someone went to the trouble to plant cannabis for recreational use among cannabis for hemp use - they would be wasting their time, as far as any market value goes.

People automatically associate hemp with pot. This is an important bill. That amendment definitely has potential to alienate lukewarm supporters.
Even if is doomed, they could at least make an honest effort.

But both Republicans and Democrats in agricultural states in the U.S. support legalization of hemp as a cash crop.

North Dakota and KY (and others) both have hemp provisions but, because of the irrational and stupid drug laws in this land - they are afraid to enact them because farmers do not want the DEA stomping through their hemp fields in search of some delusional drug problem.

The only reason people automatically associate hemp with pot is because of 70 years of propaganda. Blame the propagandists, not those who are invested in rational law.

People who associate hemp with pot are stupid. Should all laws have to bend to the will of stupidity? If so, we would not have most of the progressive laws that exist in the U.S., including civil rights laws.

So, sorry. I can't attack someone for trying to move American beyond its stupidity.

For all you know, the bill was dead anyway and the pol was just making a gesture that he could point to on the campaign trail in a state that has a majority of voters who favor such legislation - iow, it may be cynical posturing rather that comes from the association of hemp with pot. I don't know - maybe the person hopes to move this issue forward in yet one more baby step.