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July 18, 2005
Industrial Hemp
Industrial hemp is a fairly broad term referring to when hemp is used to make commercial products. Some common industrial hemp products include textiles and clothing, paper, body care, biofuels, and even food. In many parts of the world, industrial hemp products are widely available to the consumer. Industrial hemp is made from the hemp plant, which is one of the easiest crops for farmers to grow, yet produces one of the strongest known fabrics. The ease of farming hemp makes industrial hemp one of the most efficient products in the world.
Despite the overwhelming benefits of industrial hemp, hemp farming remains illegal in the US. The hemp plant used to produce industrial hemp comes from the same family as the plant used to produce marijuana. However, while from the same plant family, the actual strain used for industrial hemp is different. Despite this clear distinction, it remains illegal to farm hemp in the US due to its similarity to marijuana. There exist many protesters who actively lobby to have this law changed. They lobby not because they think it is a good way to increase the availability of marijuana, but rather because the use of industrial hemp would have considerable positive impacts on the economy and the environment. The benefits of industrial hemp are evident in many other countries in the world, but will have to stay unrealized in the US for the foreseeable future.
Posted by ben at July 18, 2005 12:21 PM