GROW HEMP HERE INSTEAD

Dear Sir:

Terrace should start producing/growing hemp and open a manufacturing
plant. Hemp can produce over 30,000 different products. Forget about
bio-coal and other harmful ideas.

What about a greener future for our children? Hemp can save our
world!

Hemp is the same plant as marijuana, its scientific name is "cannabis
sativa." For thousands of years hemp was used to make dozens of
commercial products like paper, rope, canvas, and textiles. In fact,
the very name "canvas" comes from the Dutch word meaning cannabis,
which is marijuana. That's correct, real canvas is made from marijuana!

Many years ago hemp/marijuana was unjustly banned. However, hemp has
recently been rediscovered as a plant that has enormous environmental,
economic, and commercial potential. What follows are some fascinating
facts about hemp/marijuana - facts that will shock most people:

The potential of hemp for paper production is enormous. According to
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, one acre of hemp can produce four times
more paper than one acre of trees. All types of paper products can be
produced from hemp: newsprint, computer paper, stationary, cardboard,
envelopes, toilet paper, even tampons.

Paper production from hemp would eliminate the need to chop down
billions of trees. Millions of acres of forests and huge areas of
wildlife habitat could be preserved.

Trees must grow for 20 to 50 years after planting before they can be
harvested for commercial use.

Within four months after it is planted, hemp grows 10 to 20 feet tall
and it is ready for harvesting.

Hemp can be grown on most farmland where forests require large tracts
of land available in few locations.

Substituting hemp for trees would save forests and wildlife habitats
and would eliminate erosion of topsoil due to logging.

Reduction of topsoil erosion would also reduce pollution of
lakes/rivers/streams.

Fewer caustic and toxic chemicals are used to make paper from hemp
than are used to make paper from trees.

Hemp can also be substituted for cotton to make textiles. Hemp fiber
is 10 times stronger than cotton and can be used to make all types of
clothing.

Cotton grows only in warm climates and requires enormous amounts of
water.

There are now many stores that sell hemp-derived products such as
clothing, paper, cheese, soap, ice cream, cosmetics, and hemp oil.

Demand for these products - not even in existence in 1992 - is growing
rapidly.

Hemp naturally repels weed growth and hemp has few insect
enemies.

Few insect enemies and no weed problems means hemp requires no
herbicides and few or no pesticides.

Cotton requires enormous pesticide use. 50% of all pesticides used are
used on cotton.

Substituting hemp for cotton would drastically reduce pesticide
usage.

Hemp produces twice as much fiber per acre as cotton! An area of land
only 25 miles by 25 miles square planted with hemp can produce enough
fiber in one year to make 100 million pair of denim jeans.

A wide variety of clothing made from 100 per cent hemp (pants, denim
jeans, jackets, shoes, dresses, shorts, hats) is now available.

Building materials that substitute for wood can be made from hemp.
Marijuana has dozens of proven medicinal uses

Kim Wookey,

Terrace, B.C.