Hemp. Hemp alone would be tremendously helpful in fixing the economy….it couldn’t entirely fix it, mind you, but it would be highly positive. Here in Missouri, we had a bill to allow growing hemp, and it went absolutely nowhere. People actually still think you could get high smoking hemp. It’s a wonderful plant, and I am glad that California is actually going to allow people to grow it. Here’s a pretty good article on this:

Will Industrial Hemp Be A Cash Crop in California?

The American government once jailed farmers who refused to grow it – now they jail those that do. In the mid-1930s, Popular Science magazine called hemp America’s “New Billion Dollar Crop.”
With the steel, oil and timber companies holding most of the economic power in the nation, they came up with an effective plan to demonize hemp through effective propaganda and misinformation. They insisted that hemp was nothing but marijuana, and its use was just a dangerous way to get “high.”

A combination of investigation, science and discussion are now proving this statement false.

Finally someone gets it … hemp is not marijuana

This week Governor Jerry Brown of California signed a new law giving California farmers an open door to go ahead and grow industrial hemp as soon as the federal government gives the nod of approval.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act, SB 566, which has been in discussion since 1999 is now law in the golden state and states that hemp can be grown as a fiber or oilseed crop without worry of fines or arrest – at least at the state level, that is.

Over $500 million worth of hemp products were made from raw hemp imported into the state from Canada and China last year. If California makes its own hemp – profits are predicted to skyrocket.

According to the law, hemp is derived from a nonpsychoactive type of Cannabis sativa plant. This plant contains no more than 3/10 of 1 percent of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.

The Sacramento Bee reports that the oversight of hemp production would be done in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and county agricultural commissioners.

Hemp is useful and environmentally friendly

Industrial hemp farming is permitted in nine other states and 30 countries. Sadly, none of those states that allow industrial hemp farming are practicing it yet.

Hemp can be used for food, clothing, paper, fuel and other biodegradable products. Hemp is environmentally friendly. It’s a hardy plant that requires little water and no synthetic fertilizers or herbicides. It boosts soil health, and in relatively warm climates it can be planted and harvested twice a year.

Hemp seeds and oils are some of the most nutritionally dense foods on earth. They are a rich source and an ideal balance of omega-6, omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids. They are the only edible seeds that contain GLA, an essential fatty acid. They are also a highly nutritious source of protein, easily digested in their raw, natural state.

Packed with essential amino acids, they are a complete protein – even better than nearly all other protein sources, plant or animal.

Hemp seeds and oils help to:

• Improve heart health
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce inflammation and improve circulation
• Promote better digestion
• Aid weight loss efforts
• Boost energy levels
• Maintain a healthy cholesterol level
• Balance blood sugar
• Inhibit cancer and tumor growth
• As an anti-inflammatory, they can reduce or eliminate symptoms of many chronic illnesses such as arthritis

What About Federal Restrictions?

Similar bills have been vetoed four times by three different California governors over concerns about federal laws outlawing industrial hemp, which is considered no different from marijuana under U.S. law.

However, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder states that the government will not get in the way of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act in areas where the possession or regulation of marijuana is permitted.

Lawmakers in California say that industrial hemp should definitely be given the green light since it is not a drug.

-The Alternative Daily