DON'T VILIFY MARIJUANA TO SAVE HEMP

It's good to see students learning the truth about hemp, but it is wrong to
denounce marijuana to justify hemp. The marijuana laws are based on the
most lunatic notions ever used to enact a law:

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are
Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz
and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana can cause white women
to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."

"The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."

"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity,
criminality and death."

"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

"[Smoking] one [marijuana] cigarette might develop a homicidal mania,
probably to kill his brother."

(From Harry J Anslinger's sworn statements for the Marijuana Tax Act of
1937, the 1951 Boggs Act (harsher penalties), 1956 Narcotics Control Act -
Boggs-Daniels (even harsher penalties) and his propaganda statements to the
press.)

"Marihuana influences Negroes to to look at white people in the eye, step
on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." (Hearst newspapers
nationwide, 1934)

These absurd claims were made to prevent the commercial exploitation of
hemp, not to protect people from imaginary attacks of Reefer Madness. The
whole purpose of marijuana prohibition is to keep hemp products off the
market. (See: The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer
http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html)

Hemp is an extremely valuable crop for ending the damage being done by
greenhouse gases and ozone depletion. Switching from timber to hemp for our
paper supplies can help restore proper carbon dioxide levels and eliminate
a huge source of dioxin pollution.

Legalizing hemp/marijuana will go a long way toward cleaning up the
environment.

Redford Givens Webmaster, Schaffer Library of Drug Policy
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/index.HTM