TEAGASC AFFECTED BY REEFER MADNESS

BERNARD RICE of Teagasc says that Cannabis Sativa, or hemp, would not work
economically as a biomass crop at the moment in Ireland. He says it would
have to be produced cheaper.

That is a shame because huge crops of hemp could be grown almost anywhere in
Ireland without fertilisers or pesticides. The fuel produced through
pyrolysis would cause no pollution when burned.

The problem remains the echoes of scare-mongering that cannabis is a
narcotic. It is not. Actually, the safety record of cannabis after hundreds
of years of use by hundreds of millions of people, is quite remarkable. It
is less addictive than coffee and less toxic than tea. Once people realise
that there is no reason to fear this plant, cannabis will be made legal
again. Then it will be grown to maturity and the buds used medicinally /
recreationally. The rest of the plant, the biomass, will be virtually free.
When this happens, the production cost of fuel for Ireland will be a
fraction of the cost of fossil or nuclear fuels, both economically and
environmentally.

Alun Buffry, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, PO Box 198, Norwich NR2 2DE,
England.