Industrial Hemp Production

By Devvy Kidd

It seems all we hear is more begging for Congress to create jobs. There is no authority for Congress to create jobs other than those critically essential to support the military, the courts, congressional overhead and in areas specifically enumerated under Art. 1, Sec. 8 in a supporting role. As we can all see over the decades, pork spending creates nothing but more debt. Stealing from all of us, not to create jobs, but give the illusion the voter sanctioned criminal syndicate out in Washington, DC, is “doing something.”

The Outlaw Congress, one after another for decades, have done nothing but kill MILLIONS of jobs through destructive, unconstitutional trade treaties and agencies handing down more and more draconian regulations thereby choking private industry to death. That means your representatives and mine are part of the problem.

The solutions to many of our economic problems have been ignored for years by these crooks in Congress, and yes, I even mean the “conservatives” like Speaker John Boehner, Eric Cantor and others. With a split body, the Republicans can only do so much as far as legislation, but since long time incumbents have ignored the real solutions for decades, it has to be the states of the Union fighting back.

Want to create jobs, lower our dependence on foreign oil and clean up the environment? How about hemp? I’m not talking about growing hemp to smoke (marijuana). I am against legalizing “pot”; a position that gets me in trouble with libertarians who believe all drugs should be legal. The exception is it should be available for cancer patients who say it relieves the unbearable pain; they should not be denied relief.

Did you know that:

1 – All schoolbooks were made from hemp or flax paper until the 1880s. (Jack Frazier. Hemp Paper Reconsidered. 1974.)

2 – It was legal to pay taxes with hemp in America from 1631 until the early 1800s. (LA Times. Aug. 12, 1981.)

3 – Refusing to grow hemp in America during the 17th and 18th centuries was against the law! You could be jailed in Virginia for refusing to grow hemp from 1763 to 1769 (G. M. Herdon. Hemp in Colonial Virginia).

4 – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers grew hemp. (Washington and Jefferson Diaries. Jefferson smuggled hemp seeds from China to France, then to America.)

5 – Benjamin Franklin owned one of the first paper mills in America, and it processed hemp. Also, the War of 1812 was fought over hemp. Napoleon wanted to cut off Moscow’s export to England. (Jack Herer. Emperor Wears No Clothes.)

6 – For thousands of years, 90% of all ships’ sails and rope were made from hemp. The word ‘canvas’ is Dutch for cannabis. (Webster’s New World Dictionary.)

7 – 80% of all textiles, fabrics, clothes, linen, drapes, bed sheets, etc., were made from hemp until the 1820s, with the introduction of the cotton gin.

Betsy Ross and the first American Flag

8 – The first Bibles, maps, charts, Betsy Ross’ flag, the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were all made from hemp. (U.S. Government Archives.)

9 – The first crop grown in many states was hemp. 1850 was a peak year for Kentucky producing 40,000 tons. Hemp was the largest cash crop until the 20th century. (State Archives.)

10 – Oldest known records of hemp farming go back 5000 years in China, although hemp industrialization probably goes back to ancient Egypt.

Van Gogh’s Starry Nights

11 – Rembrandt’s, Van Gogh’s, Gainsborough’s, as well as most early canvas paintings, were principally painted on hemp linen.

12 – In 1916, the U.S. Government predicted that by the 1940s all paper would come from hemp and that no more trees need to be cut down. Government studies report that 1 acre of hemp equals 4.1 acres of trees. Plans were in the works to implement such programs. (U.S. Department of Agriculture Archives.)

13 – Quality paints and varnishes were made from hemp seed oil until 1937. 58,000 tons of hemp seeds were used in America for paint products in 1935. (Sherman Williams Paint Co. testimony before the U.S. Congress against the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.)

14 – Henry Ford’s first Model-T was built to run on hemp gasoline and the car itself was constructed from hemp! On his large estate, Ford was photographed among his hemp fields. The car, ‘grown from the soil,’ had hemp plastic panels whose impact strength was 10 times stronger than steel. (Popular Mechanics, 1941.)

Research by Doug Yurchey. You can read all of Yurkey’s column on hemp where you’ll see, once again, the prostitutes in Congress were bought out by big money to strangle the use of a naturally grown plant within the states of the Union.

Congressman Ron Paul has introduced a bill over and over and over to stop this nonsense.

In 1942, the War Department released the film “Hemp for Victory” which was produced by the United States Department of Agriculture. Hemp for Victory was an educational film promoting hemp production in the United States. “This film contains high-quality information about the Cannabis Sativa plant and large-scale hemp production for industrial use.”

Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were enthusiastic supporters of hemp.

What changed about that plant that grows naturally in the ground? Nothing except big money interests. Industrial barons wanted to make plastics from oil and coal. They wanted to make sure a natural plant like hemp was put under control of the “federal” government to enrich their pockets at the expense of all of us and our environment.

Americans say they want less dependence on foreign oil. Fine. Let’s start right here with our state legislatures. What right does the General Government have to dictate to the states what natural plants their farmers can and cannot use for commercial production and charge exorbitant fees? Challenge it. No one including the General Government had a problem with hemp before big money bought off corrupt lawmakers in Congress. How come hemp was used for centuries before the prostitutes in Congress were bought off and hemp demonized by bought-and-paid-for media interests? Big money.

If the states stand up and say no, that will enable production of thousands of products made from hemp without depending on foreign oil. It will create jobs because individuals will be able to afford hemp products. Buying means companies expand and hire. It means competition in the free market which brings down prices. The hemp shampoo I use costs twice as much as “regular” shampoo, but I pay it because it is the best for your hair, in my opinion.

My shower curtain is made from hemp, not plastic, and it was made here in America by Americans. Yes, it was expensive, but it will also last years longer than cheap plastic crap from communist China. I’ve been using green bags for more than a decade and when I travel, I use a Klean Kanteen instead of a plastic bottle for water. I support America’s farmers and companies who produce excellent products made from commercial hemp.

If the states tell the General Government no more regulating our farmers and charging them monster fees to grow a natural plant for commercial use, the cost of thousands of products will go down and it will create jobs. Stop the extortion racket by the General Government forcing farmers who want to produce products made from hemp to be licensed and pay fees which drive up the cost of the product.

Nullification is growing like a prairie fire. The states of the Union must take up this issue and tell the General Government that farmers in their states will be able to grow commercial hemp without fear of breaking “federal” law.

Growing hemp to produce lip gloss, shampoo, paper, canvas and thousands of other products has nothing to do with a controlled substance. The Outlaw Congress is not going to do it, so it must be the states. The states can make sure hemp farming is for commercial production without permission from Washington, DC.

I am sending my state rep and a few of his colleagues who are contitutionalists a letter along with this column asking them to make this a reality. I can’t stress strongly enough what a difference this would make for our economy. Please do the same with your state legislature. Stress to them any confusion on the part of law enforcement can easily be cleared up with facts, not more propaganda. Create jobs. Lower the cost of products made from a natural plant instead of synthetics. Lower our dependence on foreign oil. Help clean up our freeways (plastic bags), lakes, streams and oceans (plastic bottles). It takes each and every one of us. Will you take the time to write snail mail letters to your representatives? I hope so.

Oregon Hemp Going
Into Full Production?

By Ron Lee
US~Observer

In 2004 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the DEA could not enforce a zero tolerance on the use and importation of Industrial Hemp products and food items.

As such, this writer and another Oregon man became the state’s, if not the country’s, largest importer of roasted industrial hemp seed. Having started Joe Buzz, a coffee company, we supplied ground hemp to coffee companies all across the United States. These companies served our signature and trademarked “Original Hemp Latte,” as well as our “Chronic Blend” coffee/hemp blend. We were champions and educators of the Industrial Hemp Revolution, and thankfully others have been listening and have awakened to the benefits of hemp as a crop and the multitude of end products it can create.

Josephine County’s Sheriff Gil Gilbertson and Commissioner Simon Hare are both supporting a push to grow industrial hemp in the county as a way to create jobs and financial resources in an economic environment where it is essential to be self reliant.

The group Wake Up America Southern Oregon also fully supports the development of this viable cash producing crop and hosts meetings every other Tuesday at the Live Oak Grange, 120 Gardiner Street, in Rogue River at 6:30 p.m.

I encourage your involvement in making our county self sufficient and economically prosperous!