NO REASON FOR RAISING HEMP

In rejecting the demand for hemp legislation, the North Dakota
congressional delegation has recognized the obvious charade by the
pro-marijuana legalizers, and this, more than anything else, is a
great sign that our nation's legislators finally are becoming aware
that they have been swindled in the past by drug proponents
masquerading as compassionate advocates for the needs of the sick and
dying or, as in this instance, ailing North Dakota farmers.

The fact is that farmers are not ailing but getting wealthy from the
weak dollar that makes their exports that much cheaper for foreign
markets. Hemp is available and abundant throughout the world and can
be purchased elsewhere for a fraction of what it would cost to
produce in the United States.

In Europe, hemp farmers receive annual cash subsidies from the
European Union, suggesting that European hemp production is unable to
compete with cheaper synthetic fibers and imported hemp. Why create a
similar welfare state for farmers in the U.S. when cash crops like
corn, wheat and soybeans are in high demand around the world and
sales of these commodities can benefit our economy and our farmers?

Lastly, the observation that producing hemp will undermine the
enforcement of our marijuana laws, which is, of course, why the
pro-drug groups support hemp in the first place, is as good a reason
as any to keep this genie in the bottle. For those who would dispute
this, ask yourself this question: If hemp resembled corn, soybeans or
wheat, would we be having this discussion?

By JOHN COLEMAN

Clifton, Va.

(Coleman signs himself as president of Drug Watch International. - Editor)