h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I read an article some time ago that had a lot to say about hemp, and the reasons why it was outlawed in the first place (at least in the U.S.) Hemp was outlawed about the same time they figured out how to quickly process wood pulp into paper. Before that, they were using - guess what? Hemp! It makes great paper, because it has longer fibers. This just makes me sick, because the average growing time of a marijuana plant is three months. A tree: six to seven years. Hemp's also one of the few plants that doesn't suck nutrients out of the soil. No watering is really required, because it's used to poor conditions. Hell, it's a weed - it grows best when it's ignored. So instead of all these trees being cut down for somebody's damn romance novel (sorry!) we could be growing marijuana!

Right now the U.S. subsidizes farmers. Basically they're paying them not to grow corn or cotton or whatever it is that's experiencing a glut in the market. All this empty farmland could be used to grow marijuana. And with the current energy crisis, we're going to need a good source of wood alcohol for combustion engines - at least until we come up with something better. Oh, yeah. That's another use of the hemp plant - making wood alcohol.

Hemp is also used to make clothing. Many people are allergic to cotton or wool.

Hemp makes the best rope - doesn't slip, doesn't fray. Hemp rope has a greater breaking strength per foot (holds more weight with thinner rope) than any other kind of rope.

Parts of the hemp plant can be eaten. The seeds are edible, and make a great "nut" butter. I've heard it's like almond butter. And in California they're researching ways to make plastic out of the resin and tar that marijuana contains.

I have much to say about the medicinal values, but I'll leave that for another note!

Remember that hemp isn't marijuana. You can grow hemp that does not contain any psychoactive chemicals in it at all.

That's very true, but it is the same plant. It's all in how it's pruned. Because hemp can be made to produce THC, American government discourages the growing of all hemp, which seems a little unfair to me.

It is mainly which strain used. Those that have been bred for fibre production are optimized for fibre production, those that have been bred for psychoactivity do not produce good fibre. It is mainly genetics, though enviroment is a definate factor, even the best psychoactive strain will grow taller and straggly if there is only poor light....
BCNU - Crescent

By "poor light" I take it you mean lack of blue light as this is what makes the plants too tall and straggly. (when I say "blue light" i take it you know what I mean)