LET FARMERS PLANT WHAT THEY WISH

About 15 years ago I introduced legislation in support of ethanol. The
uninformed opposition came out strongly against the idea, saying that
ethanol would ruin every motor that used it. South Dakota lawmakers
believed everything the oil industry said and it has taken all these
years to prove to South Dakota that ethanol (made from corn) is a
super great idea. While all the states around us were promoting it and
building value-added ethanol plants, we were importing ethanol into
South Dakota.

Hemp is not marijuana!

I am appealing to the public to take a good look at the benefits to
South Dakota of growing industrial hemp. Don't let misinformation
about hemp kill another 15 years of benefit to South Dakota, while all
the states around us are reaping its benefits; as happened with ethanol.

If the local media would bother to get themselves informed, they would
see and support the legal growing of industrial hemp.

Hemp is seven times stronger than denim, 12 times stronger than the
material we now use to make twine and rope. Anything that can be made
from wood or plastic can be made from hemp - and it is
biodegradable.

With the shortage of paper and the increasing demand for paper, South
Dakota could be first to develop paper mills using hemp instead of
trees. It takes four and a half acres of trees to produce the same
amount of paper that one acre of hemp will produce - only hemp will do
it in one year and it takes 10 to 20 years to grow a tree. In this way
hemp could help reduce the destruction of the rain forest. Hemp paper
is stronger than wood paper, so it can be thinner and weigh less and
cost less to transport.

The United States imported $100 million worth of hemp in 1999. The
world-wide market exceeds $500 billion.

The big chemical companies lobby against the raising of hemp because
hemp will kill out thistles, quack grass, leafy spurge and marijuana.

Legislation and resolutions have been introduced or passed by 20
states asking the federal government to lift the barrier that
restricts the growing of hemp.

Loren Kruse, the editor-in-chief of "Successful Farming" magazine has
done his homework and states that hemp has a low level of THC, while
marijuana contains 15 to 20 percent THC. During World War II farmers
were paid to raise hemp because it could not be imported. After the
war, the rapidly emerging industries centered around petroleum based
synthetic products and the petroleum industry felt threatened by the
hemp industry that could provide energy and synthetic products from a
renewable source, so they used their powerful players to have hemp
declared illegal to grow.

I recommend everyone join with farm and other organizations and sign
the petition to legalize the growing of industrial hemp and send our
message to the U.S. Government to lift the ban and S.D. can join the
20 other states that are in the process or who have already done this.

Sign the petition! Let farmers plant their choices like Freedom to
Farm recommends.