HEMP AND MARIJUANA NOT INTERCHANGEABLE TERMS

On April 21, 2010, The Lumberjack ran an article with the headline:
"Hemp Vs. Alcohol. What is S.A.F.E.R.?" The article itself is about
the safety of recreational use of marijuana versus alcohol and never
uses the word hemp.

But this type of headline is exactly how hemp perpetually gets a bad
rep. Hemp is not marijuana. Although they are both part of the genus
Cannabis, industrial hemp doesn't get you high. Its THC levels (the
stuff in marijuana that gets you high) are low, and it contains high
levels of an antipsychoactive cannabinoid called CBD. The CBD
actually impedes a marijuana high. According to Dr. Dave West, who
studies plant breeding at the University of Minnessota and has
pioneered discussions on the differences between hemp and marijuana,
"Hemp, it turns out, is not only not marijuana, [but] it could be
called 'antimarijuana.'" Yet, it is still illegal to grow hemp in the
U.S., and the DEA spends millions pulling it out of our soils where
it has grown naturally for years.

It's too bad because hemp is really useful and ecologically smart.

According to www.sustainablehemp.net, "Hemp requires little to no
pesticides, replenishes soil with nutrients and nitrogen, controls
erosion of the topsoil, and produces lots of oxygen, considering how
fast it grows." Hemp can be used to produce clothing, paper, health
foods, oil, rope, fuels, biodegradable "plastic," and much, much more.

Why then is hemp illegal to grow in the United States? Ask your
government officials.

Camila Andres Journalism senior