Can pot save the world?

[angus_mor]

The title of this thread probly caught your eye pretty quick didn't it? As ridiculous as this sounds, it is actually the most plausible idea to be rationalized. The best way to reverse the Greenhouse Effect is to stop the use of fossil fuels and end deforestation immediately. If this is to be brought to fruition, there's only one possible alternative; Industrial Cannabis, proclaims Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, and his band of hippie cohorts:


Our Challenge to the World: Try to Prove Us Wrong

If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the Greenhouse Effect, and stop deforestation;

Then there is only one known annually renewable natural resource that is capable of providing the overall majority of the world's paper and textiles; meeting all of the world's transportation, industrial and home energy needs; simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil, and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time...

And that substance is -- the same one that did it all before -- Cannabis Hemp... Marijuana! -- The Emperor Wears No Clothes

"How is this possible?" you might ask, it's quite simple really; cannabis hurds, the woody core left behind after separating the fiber from the stalk, are 77% cellulose; four times as much as corn stalks, and it can grow to be 16 - 20 feet high!


Hemp is the standard fiber of the world. It has great tensile strength and durability. It is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces, and the woody "hurds" remaining after the fiber has been removed contain more than seventy-seven per cent cellulose, and can be used to produce more than 25,000 products, ranging from dynamite to Cellophane.

-- Popular Mechanics Magazine, NEW BILLION-DOLLAR CROP, February, 1938

Among these 25,000 products are biodiesel, paper, textiles, plastics of all kinds, paints and varnishes, medicines, oils, food, the list goes on and on! The best part is, after you cut it down, unlike trees, you can grow more!

A single acre of pot can produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of trees, and the plant can be processed with all natural solvents, leaving no pollution behind! The paper would have to be bleached, but it can be done with hydrogen peroxide at only 1/5 the pollution of chlorine bleach! Not only is it cheaper, smarter, and safer to produce, but it has far more durability and longevity than wood pulp!

Using information obtained from the archives of the United States Department of Agriculture, Jack Herer calculates that using only 6% of America's marginal farmlands to raise hemp as an energy crop would produce all 75 quadrillion BTU's needed for all of America's energy needs without disrupting the standard of living while simultaneously restoring the soil and the atmosphere at only a fraction of the cost of fossil fuels!!!

The most amazing part about this revolutionary plant is that it can be grown easily with little irrigation anywhere in the world outside of the arctic circle! If used in a socialist economy, it could be effectively used to transition from a wage system to a green economy by phasing out paper money in favor of hemp!!! With 21st century technology, processing hemp would be a cake walk, and small, decentralized communities could use hemp to become self-sustaining!!!!!

And of course, this is no pipe dream; hemp was as good as currency in America from the 1600's until the early 1800's, and George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew pot on their plantations, and smoked it too! But with constantly modernized hemp processing, it's use as currency would soon disappear with the spread of the general knowledge of its use as a raw material; it would be so easy to grow, harvest and process that one could produce most all of the products one needs in everyday life virtually by themself!!!

The dawn of true Communism will be fully realized with the grandiose utilization of Cannabis! A very bold statement, I know, but with so many uses for something that grows to be 20 feet tall in the wild, how can we neglect the productive power of this noble plant, especially when the entire world is at stake? The DEA reports that 97% of the Cannabis they seize is found growing wild and uncultivated!!! Just imagine how much we could grow intentionally!!!!!

But don't take my word for it, listen to what the Dead Kennedys ex-frontman Jello Biafra has to say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81REYbjrtR0

Don't listen to the yuppies; it's not time to "Live Green, and Go Yellow," it's high time for the revolutionary movement to "Live Red, and Grow Green!"

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k105/Communitis/CDSP.jpg

[encephalon]

it should be noted that hemp and marijuana are a far cry from one another, in both physical properties and effects on the human brain. As much as I hate to admit it, hemp is far more useful to humanity than pot will ever be; once we get over this whole cultural war against hemp, who knows how well things will go.

You're also forgetting the classical "green revolution" faults. Planting boatloads of pot (or hemp) is not going to solve the world's problems. At the least, it needs to be rotated frequently in order to keep the soil enriched, and its introduction into a foreign environment can be disasterous.. especially if we start genetically modifying it before we know the exact ramifications of what we're doing.

[angus_mor]

it should be noted that hemp and marijuana are a far cry from one another, in both physical properties and effects on the human brain.

Untrue, hemp and pot are one and the same; hemp is the stalk and pot is the flower. The reason they appear to be so different is that when grown for pot, it is kept short and bushy, careful attention being focussed on the bud, and when it's grown for hemp, it is planted close together to form tall, vertical stalks. If allowed to flower, the hemp will be of low quality, which is why they appear to be so different. In fact, the only difference is that one is allowed to flower, and the other is kept from reaching maturity for as long as possible, and harvested just before it does.


As much as I hate to admit it, hemp is far more useful to humanity than pot will ever be; once we get over this whole cultural war against hemp, who knows how well things will go.

I'm sorry, but pot is just as useful, as it is the same plant! As a medicine, it has shown great promise for fighting uncurable diseases, like cancer, diabetes, glaucoma, promote cell development, etc. And as a recreational drug, it can ease anxiety, insomnia, inspire creativity, and enhance most anything!


You're also forgetting the classical "green revolution" faults. Planting boatloads of pot (or hemp) is not going to solve the world's problems.

Why not?


At the least, it needs to be rotated frequently in order to keep the soil enriched, and its introduction into a foreign environment can be disasterous.. especially if we start genetically modifying it before we know the exact ramifications of what we're doing.

Of course crop rotation is a necessary farming technique in general, I'm not talking about replacing everything with pot, I'm just saying grow it where it's needed.

Obviously you don't know much about it at all, as you didn't know it's the same plant. Pot already grows wild in almost every place in the world, and it was already introduced to this hemisphere by Dutch settlers in the 1600's. It was grown large scale in every hemisphere of the entire world until 1937, when it was outlawed by racist plutocrats. It's already such a strong plant that it needs no genetic modification, we just need to grow more of it!

[angus_mor]

According to a census, sales of hemp and hemp-related products increased fifteen times from 1993 to 1997, and sales are still increasing at this exponential rate. The know is getting out, and like socialism, the demand is growing as it's becoming more necessary and relevant to society.

Much like the revolutionary movement, we must get these methods and ideas moving with the same strict perseverence; by any means necessary! We've gotta get out this know with as much information and word of mouth as possible; pamphletism, mass organization, guerilla gardening. Not only will it be key in revitalizing the earth, but it will also be the most important resource for defeating capitalism; it is the plant that's going to make our goals a reality:


(VII) Increase in the number of national factories, workshops, railroads, ships; bringing new lands into cultivation and improvement of land already under cultivation -- all in proportion to the growth of the capital and labor force at the disposal of the nation.

-- Frederick Engels, The Principles of Communism (emphasis added)

Naturally, such a tall, sturdy, tenacious plant has roots that penetrate deeply, enriching the soil tremendously:


GREEN ECONOMY

When American farmers grow hemp to supply American industries with the primary feedstocks for fiber, fabric, fuel, food, medicines, plastics and recreational/relaxational herbal products we will see a rapid greening of the land and economy.

The green economy based upon the use of agricultural resources to supply industry will create a diversified locally based system of production. This decentralized green economy will enable everyone to participate and share in the wealth of a truly free market democracy. For there can be no true democracy unless every citizen has the opportunity to share in the wealth of a nation.

LAND AND SOIL RECLAMATION

Land reclamation is another compelling economic and ecological argument for hemp cultivation.

Until [the 20th] century, our pioneers and ordinary American farmers used cannabis to clear fields for planting, as a fallow year crop, and after forest fires to prevent mudslides and loss of watershed.

Hemp seeds put down ten- to twelve-inch root in only 30 days, compared to one-inch root put down by the rye or barley grass presently used by the U.S. Government.

Southern California, Utah and other states used cannabis routinely in this manner until about 1915. It also breaks up compacted, overworked soil.

In the formerly lush Himalayan region of Bangladesh, Nepal and Tibet there is now only light moss covering left as flash floods wash thousands of tons of topsoil away.

Independent Bangladesh, (formerly East Bengal, India) which literally means "cannabis-land-people" (it was formerly called East Bengal province, a name derived from bhang-cannabis, la-land), signed an "anti-drug" agreement with the U.S., promising not to grow hemp in the 1970's. Since that time it has suffered disease, starvation and decimation, due to unrestrained flooding.

Hemp seeds broadcast over eroding soil could reclaim land the world over. The farmed out desert regions can be brought back year after year, not only slowing genocide of starvation but easing threats of war and violent revolution.

-- The Emperor Wears No Clothes (emphasis added)

With these chilling facts kept in mind, it becomes obvious that all kinds of ecological disasters, like the Dust Bowl, were a direct result of cannabis prohibition! If cannabis had been grown in rotation, instead of forcibly digging up the earth with industrial capital, the lost topsoil of the fertile plains could've been saved!

While that passage is ultimately in defense of reformable capitalism, it is obvious that plutocracy is what allowed this irresponsible environmental genocide to happen in the first place. But the author admits that this crop has the potential to provide the resources to allow socialism, and any region, for that matter, to achieve economic independence from capitalism, and thus the power to destroy it:


The green economy based upon the use of agricultural resources to supply [popular] industry will create a diversified locally based system of production. This decentralized green economy will enable everyone to participate and share in the wealth of a truly [democratic, classless society]. For there can be no true democracy unless every citizen has the opportunity to share in the wealth of [the world].

When placed in the right context, not only does this support my argument, but it is now a realistic solution, instead of a pipe dream. Capitalism isn't going to allow this to happen; its plutocratic institutions prevented it from happening in the first place, the only way we can materialize these efforts is through complete unrelenting resistance by any means necessary!

The earth can't wait for legislation; we've gotta get out there and start guerilla gardening! We've gotta be Johnny Appleseeds of this generation! Afterall, it grows wild on its own; if we get out there and broadcast it everywhere it can't be stopped! It may not be used effectively for its industrial purposes, but if it gets growing it's a start; the atmosphere needs to be restored now! If we don't get moving, we're fucked!

It is clear that the revolutionary movement, and socialism, can not survive without using every single means available, especially the most practical, resourceful, renewable, versatile method of them all; Cannabis!


You don't need to smoke pot to know that the real drug problem in this country is not the drugs, and we can help solve our drug problems, crime problems, environmental problems, even our racial problems if we say no to George Bush and get together and grow more pot! -- Jello Biafra, Grow More Pot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81REYbjrtR0)

[Political_Chucky]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18, 2006 10:43 pm
The earth can't wait for legislation; we've gotta get out there and start guerilla gardening! We've gotta be Johnny Appleseeds of this generation! Afterall, it grows wild on its own; if we get out there and broadcast it everywhere it can't be stopped! It may not be used effectively for its industrial purposes, but if it gets growing it's a start; the atmosphere needs to be restored now! If we don't get moving, we're fucked!

I agree with you on all points. Marijuana is illegal only because the racist men of the 1920's and 30's, who knew nothing of its effects, wanted it out! They convinced mainstream media that marijuana was a drug that caused uncontrollable urges to kill and also cause people to just go plain crazy. I think there was a movie called reefer or something that was made during the time that portrayed that exact same thing. And see, what really is wrong with marijuana? Tobacco causes lung cancer, is addictive and yet it is legal. Alcohol causes brain damage and can be as addictive as any drug if a person has no self control. Yet marijuana is statisically proven to have been less dangerous due to its status as a drug which is less addictive then others. It is only illegal to make more money for the government by fines and such and is really no more harmful then any legal drug out in the market.

[angus_mor]

I agree with you on all points. Marijuana is illegal only because the racist men of the 1920's and 30's, who knew nothing of its effects, wanted it out! They convinced mainstream media that marijuana was a drug that caused uncontrollable urges to kill and also cause people to just go plain crazy. I think there was a movie called reefer or something that was made during the time that portrayed that exact same thing. And see, what really is wrong with marijuana? Tobacco causes lung cancer, is addictive and yet it is legal. Alcohol causes brain damage and can be as addictive as any drug if a person has no self control. Yet marijuana is statisically proven to have been less dangerous due to its status as a drug which is less addictive then others. It is only illegal to make more money for the government by fines and such and is really no more harmful then any legal drug out in the market.

Yep, that's plutocracy in a nutshell; Hearst Paper and DuPont abused the system to control the market. The movie you're thinking of is Reefer Madness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefer_Madness), you can get a colorized version on DVD now; funny shit. If you vaporize it, it's actually quite healthy for you; in long term use it can actually increase recognitive capacity, it only causes short-term memory loss in short-term use, especially in ammateur users, and promotes cell development and regeneration. Studies in Canada suggest it actually speeds up brain cell regeneration. But to make my biggest point:

Annual Death Rate:

Tobacco: 340,000 - 450,000

Alcohol: 150,000

Aspirin: 180 - 1,000+

Caffeine: 1,000 - 10,000+

"Legal" Drug Overdose: 100,000+

Illicit Drug Overdose: 3,800 - 5,200

Cannabis: 0; not a single death resulting from the use of cannabis has ever been reported in human history.

[Fawkes]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19, 2006 08:20 am

I agree with you on all points. Marijuana is illegal only because the racist men of the 1920's and 30's, who knew nothing of its effects, wanted it out! They convinced mainstream media that marijuana was a drug that caused uncontrollable urges to kill and also cause people to just go plain crazy. I think there was a movie called reefer or something that was made during the time that portrayed that exact same thing. And see, what really is wrong with marijuana? Tobacco causes lung cancer, is addictive and yet it is legal. Alcohol causes brain damage and can be as addictive as any drug if a person has no self control. Yet marijuana is statisically proven to have been less dangerous due to its status as a drug which is less addictive then others. It is only illegal to make more money for the government by fines and such and is really no more harmful then any legal drug out in the market.

Yep, that's plutocracy in a nutshell; Hearst Paper and DuPont abused the system to control the market. The movie you're thinking of is Reefer Madness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefer_Madness), you can get a colorized version on DVD now; funny shit. If you vaporize it, it's actually quite healthy for you; in long term use it can actually increase recognitive capacity, it only causes short-term memory loss in short-term use, especially in ammateur users, and promotes cell development and regeneration. Studies in Canada suggest it actually speeds up brain cell regeneration. But to make my biggest point:

Annual Death Rate:

Tobacco: 340,000 - 450,000

Alcohol: 150,000

Aspirin: 180 - 1,000+

Caffeine: 1,000 - 10,000+

"Legal" Drug Overdose: 100,000+

Illicit Drug Overdose: 3,800 - 5,200

Cannabis: 0; not a single death resulting from the use of cannabis has ever been reported in human history.
I'm just saying this to be annoying but, on the contrary, there has been one reported incident of death by cannabis consumption. I can't remember the name of the man but he lived in Wales and the pronounced cause of death was ocer-consumption of THC. The evidence to support this claim was inconclusive however. Now I'm gonna go smoke a blunt.

[Sentinel]

It is indeed the height of hypocrisy that cannabis is outlawed while alcohol isn't.
The irrationality of the watchers of morals! That said, I'm strongly against neo-puritanical laws of all kinds..

It must be up to everyone themselves what to do with their bodies as long as noone else gets hurt.

More on topic, quite interesting statistics about hemp vs wood pulp, Angus Mor. I see no reason a more well-planned and less profit-oriented society wouldn't take advantage of the benefits of hemp.

[Delta]

Public sentiment is generally pretty high for the legalization of marijuana. Here in the states, I believe there were a few ballot referenda where some 40% of the people voted for the legalization of marijuana. Not enough to pass, but a pretty high number.

[Sentinel]

I found this, while browsing the forum:Previous discussion on uses of hemp (http://www.revolutionaryleft.com/index.php?showtopic=41952&hl=).


Originally posted by Organic Revolution
Hemp

In an unstable world, we are surrounded by an onslaught of both environmental and social problems. And often, there seem to be more problems than solutions. However, we have one very good solution growing freely throughout much of the world. Hemp, a close relative of marijuana but by no means the same plant (it contains less than 1% THC, meaning there is no way to become high from it), Hemp has been used consistently throughout the ages for everything from food to medicine to textiles and everything in between, as it still is today in various countries. The U.S. however, for various reasons, has chosen to outlaw hemp.

But first a bit of history. Hemp fiber has been discovered in archeological sights all over the world. One of the oldest archaeological relics in existence is a piece of hemp cloth from the Mesopotamia area.(2) The printing of the first book, Dharani, a collection of prayers from ancient China was made entirely from hemp.(2) Guttenburg’s bible was printed on hemp, as were many other major printings of the bible. Artists during the Renaissance painted on hemp canvases.(3) The ships Columbus used for his 1492 expedition were fitted with hemp sails and riggings, as was the Mayflower. The first currency of the America’s was printed on hemp. The drafts of both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper, and Washington and Jefferson were both hemp farmers, Jefferson even stating that "Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country".(2) Many of the first American flags were sown from hemp cloth. Henry Ford built and powered a car with hemp.(2) American’s were encouraged to grow hemp to support both the WWI and WWII war efforts, known as the "Hemp for Victory" campaign.

One of the most beneficial uses for hemp would be as an alternative to tree-based paper. This of course means less logging which would mean less habitat destruction for plants and animals (over 27,000 species go extinct every year,(2) and deforestation is the biggest contributor), a possible end to old-growth logging, less mudslides and fires, both caused by over-logging, a reduction in greenhouse-gases, and in general a vast reduction of the ecological destruction going on in forests all over the country. 40% of trees logged become paper, and hemp because it has a higher yield, roughly four times more fiber per acre,(2) and grows more quickly, could virtually end logging.

Hemp offers and alternative to the other major use of lumber, wood for building homes, etc., as well. Hemp fiber, when combined with resin can be made into composite boards. Composite boards made from hemp are much stronger than boards made from trees since tree fiber is at most ¾ of an inch long where as hemp fibers can run up to fifteen feet long.(2) Hemp boards are also stronger because we have depleted almost all of our old-growth trees (which are the strongest) relying instead on younger, thinner, trees, which make sub-par boards. Hemp is also resistant to fire, fungus, rodents, and insects including termites. The other major uses for wood, pulp, fiberboard, wood chips, planting substrate, and animal bedding, can all be replaced by the part of the hemp plant known as the hurd, the woody inner core of the plant. Hurds are 50 percent more absorbent than wood chips, and the degrade faster in a compost heap. Hurds can also be used for feedstock for chemical products and in many other industrial products.(2)

Hemp also has the potential to produce more than 25,000 environmentally friendly products.(4) Rope, cloth (clothing made from hemp is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter), fuel, furniture, shoes, paints and sealants, makeup, lotion, soap, plastics, inks, insulation in housing, just to name a few. Basically anything that can be made from wood, cotton, or petroleum can be made from hemp. But unlike wood you don’t have to chop it don’t and do irreversible harm to forests, and unlike petroleum it doesn’t have to be pumped or mined out of the ground and shipped by boat and since it can grow in most climates, its not as limited as in geography as oil, combined with other alternative energies hemp could end our reliance on foreign oil.

Hemp also has a higher yield per crop than cotton. Cotton has many natural enemies, hemp has few, which means no pesticides, which means no runoff pollution, toxins in water or soil, and contamination of wilderness areas and other crops. Hemp biodegrades faster than other crops so waste is less of a problem, its also known as a "low maintenance" crop requiring relatively little fertilizer, and acts as its own mulch, meaning it grows very tall very fast and provides its own shade to keep weeds away, eliminating the need for herbicides. Plus, after harvesting the field is left virtually weed free, all of this could save farmers a huge amount of money. Hemp has a deep root system which means no erosion and not only does it not deplete the soil of nutrients like many other crops, but it has the ability to clean contaminants from soil. Because it grows so tall and can be and has a higher yield than most crops and forests, hemp takes less land to grow, meaning less deforestation. And unlike crops like cotton, nearly every part of the hemp plant is usable. It can also grow in most climates.(2)

As a means of alternative energy, hemp (as well as all plants) contain almost no sulfur and other contaminants found in petroleum, so when burned they cause a small fraction of the pollution of fossils fuels. Due to photosynthesis hemp can recycle the CO2 that is puts out, (plant-based fuels use the CO2 emitted when burned in their photosynthetic process).(2) Less pollution, of course, means less of the gases causing global warming are emitted into the atmosphere. And unlike fossil fuels, hemp is renewable.

As a protein source, hemp seeds are outdone only by soy beans. But is does have all the essential amino and fatty acids, or EFA’s. Unlike, most nutrients, humans do not produce EFA’s by themselves and therefore must rely solely on food to get it. EFA’s are only available in a few food sources, fish oil, flax, borage, primose, and of course, in the seed and oil of hemp, at 81% the richest source of polyunsaturated EFA’s. It is one of the most complete food sources on the planet, containing high amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium vitamin A, and gama linoleic acid, a vary rare nutrient. A 1992 scientific study found that a diet of hemp seed causes the levels of total cholesterol and blood pressure to drop dramatically.(1) Hemp can be made into many different food stuffs, just as many as soy beans, yet hemp is easier to digest.

Hemp has been historically used very often as a medicine. Over the centuries it has been used to treat such ailments and asmtha, digestive disorders, neuralgia, insomnia, depression, migraines, inflammation, and to facilitate childbirth, stimulate lactation and relieve menstrual cramps.(2) And while not all of these benefits of hemp have been scientifically proven, there is no doubt in scientific communities about its possible use to treat various disorders. For instance when combined with herbs, hemp seed oil can be highly effective in treating cuts, infections, rashes, and insect bites.(1) There are many studies being conducted to examine the medicinal uses of hemp. For example, its being studied as a treatment to boost immune system in HIV/AIDS, and cancer patients. A very commonly cited fact about its benefit as a medicine is how safe it is. It has a 40,000 to 1 lethal to effective does ration as opposed to something like Tylenol, which has only a ten to one ratio.(2)

In many countries, fortunately, hemp is legal. Hemp is currently being harvested in over 30 nations including Canada, Japan and the European Union. It is also legally recognized as a commercial crop by NAFTA and GATT. U.S. businesses and manufactures import over 1.9 million pounds of hemp fiber, 450,000 pounds of hemp seeds, and 331 pounds of hempseed oil per year.(4) There is a budding movement for the full legalization of hemp in this country. For the past ten years or so, many state have been passing or trying to pass legislation making it legal for farmers and scientists to grow hemp, either for research purposes or for industrial. Currently, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia all have laws allowing for the cultivation of hemp. Unfortunately, even in states where growing hemp is legally sanctioned it is still necessary to get approval from the DEA, which has continued to turn down nearly every request for the growth of hemp, as well as doing everything in their power to block legislation permitting it.(4) A common argument used by government organizations to justify this is that it would be very easy for a farmer to grow marijuana alongside hemp plants since there is no way to tell them apart by sight. This argument has no merit, however, since hemp being the stronger of the two plants, would cross-pollinate with marijuana, and engulf it, making it impossible for marijuana to be grown anywhere in the vicinity.(3)

So what can you do to help legalize hemp? Because there is so much false propaganda and mis-information about hemp, educating yourself and others is one of the most important things. Supporting the small but budding hemp industry is important too. Most natural food stores carry hemp foods and many natural clothing stores and other retail stores are carrying more and more hemp merchandise. And while these products can often be expensive the only way they will ever go down is when there is more demand, therefore more suppliers. There are many on-line stores selling hemp merchandise: www.dashhemp.com, www.thevegetariansite.com, www.hempplanet.com, www.internatural.com , www.abundantearth.com, www.hempfair.safeshopper.com (sells paper, clothes, beauty products, etc.). One very good organizations working towards legalizing hemp is NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) at www.norml.org. A good website with links to many pro-hemp organizations is

www. http://www.artistictreasure.com/hemp_organizations.html. A very comprehensive website on hemp is www.greeninformation.com/hempindex.htm.