(by Elisabeth Hebert, Northfield - March 17, 2010)
Let's Grow Hemp!
Editor:
Rural Vermont successfully lobbied for a bill in 2008 that legalized hemp in Vermont, but the commercial cultivation of hemp won't be possible here or elsewhere in the US until the federal government changes its drug policy.
Why should we grow hemp? That's an easy question to answer: Hemp has a wide variety of uses; as a food source with high levels of protein, as cooking oil, industrial applications include diesel, cloth, rope, paper and more. It is a very resilient plant that does not require herbicides or pesticides to grow. As a matter of fact, it's a good crop to rotate with corn as it helps to kill weeds, without the normally used chemicals.
One would think that it would be a logical choice for a farmer to grow this crop. But no, the United States Government didn’t pay attention in biology class. Yes, hemp is related to the marijuana plant; however it does not have the psychedelic ingredients of its cousin and cannot be used as a drug!
Industrial hemp is produced in many countries around the world. We have to import it. Why not grow it here in Vermont?
If you'd like to learn more or support Rural Vermont's efforts to bring hemp back to American soil, visit their website at www.ruralvermont.org or call the office at (802) 223-7222.
