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unplug
unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Legalize Hemp!
This weekend is Moscow Hempfest, and I designed some lovely posters and t-shirts (the front shirt graphic is shown here) for the event. I think it's great that a little town in Idaho has something as progressive as a whole day dedicated to an illegal but very useful plant, hemp. Of course, the Moscow Hempfest (which is held, quite fittingly, on Earth Day this year) is nothing like the Seattle Hempfest, which draws a HUGE crowd of hemp and marijuana activists. Our Hempfest is quite a humble gathering that strives to raise awareness of the hemp movement.
Cannabis is basically a miracle plant. It can be used for a multitude of things: not only hemp paper, rope, and cloth, but fuel, paint, food (hemp seed oil is one of the most nutritious complete proteins on the planet), plywood, glues, medicines, and many other things. The cannabis plant, which can be used for both industrial hemp and marijuana, was legal to grow and a large part of the American economy until 1937, when DuPont pressured the US government to make it illegal and a media campaign of "reefer madness" spread through the nation. DuPont wanted to eliminate the competition for its new product, Nylon, which is made with petroleum.
Hemp is a renewable resource that we can use for almost anything, and even though its legalization for industrial purposes makes a lot of sense from an environmental standpoint (hemp plants require far fewer pesticides and fertilizers than cotton and other crops and can reduce our consumption of trees), several industries want to keep it illegal. These industries enjoy making money raping the planet, so naturally they wouldn't want any competition from a very earth-friendly and versitile alternative. They include the paper, timber, pharmaceutical, oil, and cotton industries. So they make sure to keep our leaders constantly skeptical of the cannabis plant, despite the fact that in 1988, the DEA's own administrative law judge concluded that "marijuana is one of the safest, therapeutically active substances known to man." Hmmmm.....
So where did I find all this wonderful information? One of the best hemp resources I've ever read has been Jack Herer's book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes. There are also lots of great hemp and medical marijuana activist organizations and information resources on the web. Check out NORML for Marijuana Law Reform, Hemp.co.uk for information on industrial hemp, and Vote Hemp for hemp advocacy information. Join the Hemp Revolution and educate yourself! :)
Labels: environment/sustainability, politics
