HEMP INITIATIVES MAKE GOOD SENSE

Almost a year to the day of putting regulations in place to permit the
commercial cultivation of industrial hemp, the federal government last
week finally acknowledged there just might be some justification for
the medicinal administration of marijuana.

Now prospective growers in the West Kootenay are lining up to find out
how they can best take advantage of what could turn out to be a major
agricultural and economic benefit for the entire region. Since
industrial hemp can be used to make everything from paper to textiles,
rope, plastics and fuel, commercial cultivation has a tremendous
potential for creating jobs in agriculture, industry, research and
retail. Hemp farming was officially banned in Canada in 1938 because,
like marijuana, hemp is derived from cannabis and contains small
quantities of the same psychoactive ingredient, known as delta-9
tetrahydrocannabinol --or THC for short.

According to Ottawa's regulations, industrial hemp must have not more
than 0.3 percent THC, which means the active ingredient will be below
the level expected to induce a psychoactive effect. Some wags have
dubbed it the "Ross Rebagliati Rule" in reference to the B.C.
snowboarder who had his 1998 Olympic gold medal stripped and then
returned after testing positive for a microscopic amount of pot in his
system. All things considered, the guidelines for hemp cultivation and
the government's enlightened new attitude regarding the medicinal
administration of marijuana can only be viewed as positive
developments. While falling far short of outright legalization of
cannabis, they are initiatives aimed at comforting the sick,
stimulating economic growth and creating jobs. Those are pretty good
objectives to aim at, by any government's standard.