By Neenah Payne
The good news is we’ve found a plant that can save the world. The bad news is…it’s illegal!
Donald Trump has promised to “Make America Great Again”. President-Elect Trump issued his plan for the first 100 days of his administration which includes repeal of Obamacare and the restoration of our economy. However, his plan is missing the most important step that Trump as a businessman can take to jumpstart our economy and provide the best healthcare — quickly and easily.
Many Libertarians see Trump as “Ron Paul lite”. When Dr. Paul ran for the presidency in 2012, he issued his Plan to Restore America which included repeal of the War on Drugs. In 2011, Congressman Paul had introduced bills to legalize industrial and medical hemp. Unfortunately Obama failed to follow suit.
Jack Herer, co-author of the ground-breaking book The Emperor Wears No Clothes: The Authoritative Historical Record of Cannabis and the Conspiracy Against Marijuana said, “I don’t know if hemp’s gonna save the world, but I’ll tell you this… it’s the only thing that can”.
Industrial Hemp: Trillion-Dollar Crop
Our Founding Fathers required farmers to grow hemp because it is so beneficial. Henry Ford created hemp cars powered by hemp ethanol. Hemp is still used in American cars, but now America has to buy hemp from China, England, Canada, and France because American farmers have not been allowed to grow hemp since misguided policies banned it in 1937. That increases costs 10-15% or more. The US is the largest importer of industrial hemp – and China is the largest exporter!
Ralph Nader pleaded in 2011 “Let Our Farmers Grow Hemp” and said in 2013 “Legalize Hemp – It’s Long Overdue“. It’s time for America to re-affirm hemp as a national treasure, key to our future. In the 2016 Legatum Prosperity Index, America is in 17th place, down from 12th in 2012 and 6th in 2008. The US is the only industrialized country with no hemp industry. In his opposition to the legalization of industrial and medical hemp, Obama has been out of line with our best interests, American history, and the will of the American people. We can literally no longer afford to ignore hemp, a trillion-dollar crop!
Trump should quickly rescue this vital crop in the first 100 days of his administration. Legalization of industrial and medical hemp could be the Tipping Point that allows us to avoid the escalating financial, environmental, healthcare, and food crises. Hemp can catapult America into an upward spiral!
The benefits of industrial hemp include:
Cars: 10 times stronger (safer) and 3 times lighter (more fuel efficient) than steel
Cars: Hemp cars are also biodegradable – saving our landfills
Cars: Hemp cars have zero tailpipe emissions – protecting our air quality and health
Plastics: Replaces 6,000 products made from petroleum– saving our oceans
Homes: 50% cheaper to heat/cool, healthier, negative carbon footprint
Free of Toxins: Unlike cotton, does not need herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides to grow
Clothes: More comfortable, warmer in winter, cooler in summer, durable
Paper: 4x as much pulp as from trees, better quality paper – protecting our forests
Foods/Drinks: Mega-nutrition, superfood
In 1942, the US government distributed 400,000 pounds of hemp seeds to American farmers to aid the war effort! The Bible and the US Constitution were printed on hemp paper because it does not yellow. Hemp seeds provide the right balance of Omega 3-Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids to help correct the American diet which has an excess of Omega 6. Hemp is used in over 30 countries and has numerous environmental benefits, including: less reliance on oil, more efficient use of energy, forest conservation, soil redemption and landfill use reduction. Over 25,000 products can be made from industrial hemp.
