In the state of Vermont it is now legal for industrial hemp (not to be confused with the Cheech and Chong variety) to be grown under a state regulated program.

The PAC Vote Hemp, reports the bill passed in the state house 127 to 9 and in the state senate 25 to 1.

This is a HUGE step forward.  The press release explains:

«”Vermont’s federal delegation can now take this law to the U.S. Congress and call for a fix to this problem of farmers missing out on a very useful and profitable crop,” comments Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp. “North Dakota farmers who want to grow hemp per state law are currently appealing their lawsuit in the federal courts. The real question is whether these hemp-friendly state congressional delegations feel compelled to act,” adds Steenstra.»

The word “hemp” usually conjures up thoughts of joints and hippies, but in reality the THC rich drug marijuana is only one variation of the plant cannabis sativa.  The form that Vermont farmers have gotten permission to grow is called “industrial hemp” and is marijuana’s cousin not twin.

Industrial hemp has VERY LITTLE doses of THC, the psychoactive chemical that makes marijuana a potent way to get high.  (Note, pharmaceutical companies make a synthetic version of THC that they use for medicinal purposes and this is legal… in the United States the drug is being marketed as Marinol).  Industrial hemp has been used in the world for thousands of years, but in the 1950s the U.S. government outlawed marijuana and since they did not want to deal with the logistics of having to discriminate between it and it’s harmless relatives, all forms of the plant were banned.

An article HERE explains the differences between marijuana and hemp.

Fun facts about Industrial Hemp that I got from the website Hempcar.org:

•Both Thomas Jefferson AND George Washington grew the crop.  Thomas Jefferson said,”Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country.”

•Hemp can produce 10 times more methonol than corn.

•Hemp seeds can provide a nutritious oil when pressed that contains the highest amount of fatty acids in the planet.

•One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as 4 acres of trees or two acres of cotton.

•Trees cut down to make paper take 50 to 500 years to grow, while hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 days and can yield 4 times more paper over a 20 year period.

I really think that our world view is changing and we need to reexamine the way we have done things.  If we continue living like we did in the 1950s, we will never make it to 2050.  Vermont is on the right path.

Full press release HERE. 

I recommend watching the documentary Hemp Revolution, it provided me with a lot of interesting information on industrial hemp.

Part I:

Part II:

Arguments against industrial hemp HERE.