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Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Support Industrial Hemp

Kevin L. Johnson, Lincoln Journal Star

LINCOLN, Nebraska — On June 23, Congressman Ron Paul introduced HR 3037, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The bill requires the federal government to respect state laws (already five of them) allowing the growing of industrial hemp.

As a pharmacist, I see firsthand the problems caused by drug abuse. I would not support this issue if it had anything to do with marijuana misuse. It does not. Industrial hemp contains little if any of the psychoactive agent THC. Smoking it would result in little more than a headache. The issue is about allowing U.S. farmers the ability to compete in a rapidly growing global market.

At a time when the family farmer is experiencing great difficulty, hemp is an alternative crop that offers great opportunities. Nebraska farmers especially would benefit because of the heartiness and virtual “drought proof” properties of hemp. It is extremely resistant to weeds and pests, therefore eliminating the need for costly chemical applications as well.

To bolster Nebraska’s agricultural-based economy while making an environmentally responsible resource more readily available to consumers, we have two jobs ahead of us.

First, write our congressmen asking them to stand up to the smokestacks and support HR 3037. Second convince our state senators to make Nebraska the sixth progressive state allowing the growing and production of industrial hemp.

Kevin L. Johnson, Lincoln

Copyright © 2005, Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.

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