HEMP OUGHT TO BE LEGALIZED

I recently read an article about the legalization of hemp in Alaska and
thought that this idea would be one Alabama should think about. The election
on Nov. 11 will allow people of that state to cultivate hemp. Hemp does come
from the marijuana plant; however, it is not a drug and therefore we should
be allowed to reap its benefits.

Hemp would cause fewer trees to be cut down each year, needing only one acre
to grow as opposed to two to three acres of trees to make the same amount of
paper. It only takes 120 days for hemp to grow, unlike the years it takes
trees to mature.

Hemp can also be used for fire-retardant wood for building homes and
plastics. The kicker, though, is something most people do not know -- Hemp
can also be used for cleaner, more efficient fuel for our automobiles.

Mike Moncrief, Montgomery