From a press release:
For the second time since the federal government outlawed hemp farming in the United States, a federal bill has been introduced that would remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp. The chief sponsor of H.R. 1009, the “Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007,” is Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) and the nine original co-sponsors are Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Jim McDermott (D-WA), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)…
“It is indefensible that the United States government prevents American farmers from growing this crop. The prohibition subsidizes farmers in countries from Canada to Romania by eliminating American competition and encourages jobs in industries such as food, auto parts and clothing that utilize industrial hemp to be located overseas instead of in the United States,” said Dr. Paul. “By passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act the House of Representatives can help American farmers and reduce the trade deficit — all without spending a single taxpayer dollar.”
Same bill was introduced in June 2005.
This is great, but doubt if it will survive the lumber industry lobby and the morons in the religious right. Hemp is a great renewable building product that OSB, Chip board and even plywood could be made from with less resin and greater strength in the final product. To bad America was suckered in by the Hurst lie and the ole reefer madness garbage, of course as usual the rest of the world was not and seems to do quite well with an agricultural hemp product.
Take it further Raul, legalize the growing of hemp and/or marijuana for personal use and stop the madness we call the “drug war.”