The movie has been released & reportedly got more than a million views before it was set taken off YouTube. Words are, rights to the movie has been sold to a TV network & will be aired sometime in 2013
The documentary, scheduled be release on December 7th in YouTube, highlights the War on Drugs, sanctioned by the United Nation. The war on drugs that unfortunately includes Cannabis & Hemp. This is the war that has been suppressing the use of Cannabis, which includes Industrial Hemp, around the world. This is the longest war recorded in human history, waged on for almost a century & still going. This war is what the Cannabis prohibition is all about . This war needs to stop. This documentary also feature President Bill "didn't inhale" Clinton.
So mark your calendar, sit tight & get ready for one heck of a revolution. Because we are changing your mindsets & Breaking The Taboo & after that, who knows what else we can break.
"When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I
didn't like it. I didn't inhale and never tried it again." –Bill
Clinton
Ever wished you could do more? Ever thought of educating people around you about the thing that you love? Ever want to feel safe & enjoy the use of sustainable products that is good for the earth, consume your medication &/or indulging in your favorite recreation,without prejudice & harsh law?
So does the Malaysian 420 Legalizer group & the Gerakan Edukasi Ganja Malaysia (GENGGAM) FB pages. These groups, among many available in FB, is one of the group/page that is dedicated to spreading Cannabis knowledge here in Malaysia. Others like Malaysia Mothers for Marijuana & Malaysian Medical Marijuana serves more specific enthusiasts, fighting their own respective field in the huge area that Cannabis covers. The ultimate aim of these groups is to lift the prohibition on all Cannabis products. But the immediate goals are to educate & expose Malaysians to the benefit & proper use of Cannabis products. At the same time exposing the TRUTH about Cannabis & de-bunking designed myths looming the Cannabis issues. But most & foremost, we seek to reduce the harsh rules for Cannabis offenders. Including the capital punishment.
These groups welcome literally EVERYONE with an open mind (those with closed mind may need to be pry open). Exclusively politicians, doctors, lawyers, educators & all professionals. Because, lets stop lying to ourself, Cannabis users comes from all walks of life. From the ordinary joe, to the Most Decorated Olympian of all time. Members of this group are tax paying, law abiding citizen with common sense in their heads, passion in their heart & an overwhelming love for a harmless plant. If you join us, you will truly see with your real eye, then realise which ones are the real lies. It will be obvious to you, the only real harm in Cannabis use is the law prohibiting it.
In Malaysia, possession of more than 200gm (0.4 pounds/ 7 ounces) of Cannabis is considered to be trafficking & therefore punishable by death. Germinating 1 Cannabis seed is also punishable by death.
Sowing even the most puny, useless seed actually benefit us human. Because the moment a plant starts to photosynthesise, it filters out carbon dioxide and pumps in fresh pure oxygen. So any plant in the world, be it the amazing rat eating Nepenthes or the common science project green beans, benefits human one way or another. We are not even talking about the use of plant, particularly Hemp.
For the past century (when Cannabis started became illegal around the world), government's are making, if not following, absurd laws. How is it, human can prohibit a plant? A naturally growing plant. Is it natural to stop a naturally growing thing? If the plant grew somewhere in the wild anyways, who do we prosecute? Mother nature? Not only to prohibit a plant, but to punish the cultivation of that plant. It's like we are purposely trying to erase that plant from earth. It is like saying "Hey God! You did something wrong. This plant shouldn't be here, so we are taking this away from earth". So the question is,What have we been thinking the past decade?
Don't worry, its not you, its the system.
It might not be our fault, but WE sure can change it. So join the fight, they might see us as the silent majority, but at least we do know what we need to know & when the time comes, you sure can bet this is the group that will be spearheading the movement to legalise Cannabis in Malaysia. Equip yourself with knowledge, expose the people around you to Cannabis. Join the Malaysian 420 Legalizer group & like GENGGAM's page. Help fight for a true cause that with one day, literally, change & SAVE THE WORLD.
Educate, Regulate, Legalise
"People should not be scared of their government. Government should be scared of their people" - V for Vendetta
"Dont be alarmed. This is not some evil Cannabis Communist party flag"
Morocco's flag
If you don't already know it yet, Morocco is the main supplier of Hashish (concentrated Marijuana in a form of sticky, dark resin) to almost half of the globe. Yet, until now, Cannabis is still illegal in Morocco. Well that all might change very soon.
In Rif, Morocco alone, 300,000 men are in jail because of the cultivation of Cannabis. Many of them are well-known public figures. This are one of the many topic discussed in the parliament.
Atau nama saitifiknya Cannabis Sativa, ialah tumbuhan berserabut yang mempunyai kegunaan
yang tidak terbilang. Hemp selalu dikelirukan dengan Marijuana atau Ganja
(hanya 10% daripada semua species Cannabis
Sativa adalah Ganja). Hemp tidak boleh digunakan sama dengan cara
penggunaan Marijuana, ini kerana Hemp tidak mempunyai, atau dalam kandungan
yang sangat rendah, bahan psikoaktif, iaitu TetraHydroCannabinol (THC) yang
menyebabkan efek khayal. Saintis memutuskan, untuk mendapatkan walaupun sedikit efek psikoaktif, seorang pengguna perlu menghisap rokok Hemp sebesar tiang lampu. Tapi kerana rupa fizikal kedua-dua tumbuhan ini adalah
hampir serupa, Hemp juga dikategorikan sebagai dadah merbahaya. Ini tidak logik, jika difikirkan. Kerana gula icing & gula pasir mirip 100% dadah jenis Kokain, Heroin, Morfin & Syabu. Patutkah kita mengharamkan penggunaan gula icing? Rupa sesuatu benda sepatutnya tidak menjadi faktor pengunaanya.
Marijuana/Ganja
Kegunaan
Apa yang istimewa tentang pengunaan Hemp?
Hemp mempunyai banyak kegunaan am yang boleh menggantikan
pengunaan sumber-sumber tidak mampan yang bakal memusnahkan dunia. Seperti
petroleum & kayu balak.
Roti dengan benih hemp
Makanan
Hemp boleh dimakan & berkhasiat tinggi. Minyak biji Hemp
mengandungi 80% essential fatty acids (EFA)
seperti Omega-3 & 6. Protin Hemp mengandungi semua 21 amino acids, termasuk
9 jenis yang tidak dapat dihasilkan oleh badan manusia dewasa. Ini menjadikan
ia ‘protin lengkap’ & sedia diserap oleh sistem pencernaan manusia. 15ml
atau satu sudu makan minyak biji Hemp sehari, cukup untuk memenuhi keperluan
EFA. Daun Hemp juga boleh dimakan seperti salad.
Kasut Adidas Hemp
Pakaian
Di China, Hemp telah digunakan sebagai pakaian lebih dari 10,
000 tahun dahulu. Serabut & serat Hemp yang panjang dapat menghasilkan kain
yang lebih kuat daripada kain kapas. Hemp adalah bahan pertama yang digunakan
untuk menghasilkan jeans Levis Strauss. Mengapa kain Hemp lebih berkualiti
tinggi adalah kerana serat Hemp boleh menjangkau kepanjangan 4 meter. Berbanding
dengan kapas, hanya 1-2 mm. Kain Hemp lebih lembut ,lebih tahan air &
berfaktor insulasi tinggi. Maksudnya, pemakai baju Hemp akan berasa sejuk
ketika hari panas & berasa panas selesa di dalam cuaca yang sejuk. Tambahan
lagi, pemprosesan kain Hemp menggunakan jauh lebih sedikit bahan kimia
berbanding dengan pemprosesan kain kapas.
Declaration of Independent
Kertas
2000 tahun dahulu, Cai Lun, atau lebih dikenali sebagai
“Pencipta Kertas”, telah menyeragamkan penciptaan kertas. Apa yang tidak
diketahui pada masa itu, 200 tahun sebelum Cai Lun mencipta kertas, kertas Hemp
telah digunakan oleh Dinasti Han. Kertas Hemp tahan lebih lama berbanding
kertas dari kayu balak. The Declaration of Independent Amerika yang pertama,
ditandatangani pada 4Julai 1776, diperbuat dari Hemp. Sehingga
sekarang, kertas perjanjian itu masih dalam keadaan seperti baru. Pokok Balak
mengambil masa 50-100 tahun untuk mencapai kematangan. Hemp mengambil masa 3
bulan. Jumlah hutan yang dapat kita selamatkan dengan menggunakan kertas Hemp,
adalah memeranjatkan.
Semua bahagian dalaman ini diperbuat daripada plastik Hemp
Plastik
Hemp boleh diproses menjadi plastik mesra alam yang kalis
api, berdasarkan tumbuhan (mampan) & yang paling penting boleh terbiodegradasi
(boleh reput secara semula jadi dengan cepat). Plastik konvensional adalah
ciptaan manusia yang paling berjaya & paling gagal. Manusia membuatnya
terlalu tegar, ia mengambil masa 500-1000 tahun untuk reput secara semulajadi.
Sambil melepaskan gas-gas merbahaya kepada manusia. Pada 1941, Henry Ford telah
mencipta kereta Soybean. Prototaip yang dibuat dengan sumber Hemp. Badan kereta
ini telah terbukti lebih tahan daripada badan kereta besi kovensional. Enjin
Diesel kereta Soybean ini, berfungsi dengan bahan bakar alternatif seperti Hemp
& jagung. Pada masa kini Audi, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, GM, Iveco,
Lotus, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Saturn, Volkwagen, Porsche & Volvo menggunakan
bahan plastik diperbuat dari Hemp di dalam kereta keluaran mereka.
Kereta Hemp Henry Ford
Rumah ini diperbuat daripada bahan binaan Hemp
Bahan Binaan
Bahan binaan yang kuat & ringan, seperti Hempcrete dapat dibuat
dengan mencampurkan serat Hemp dengan konkrit. Hemp juga boleh digunakan
sebagai bahan insulasi dinding. Secara teori, 1 meter kubik ruang yang
diperbuat dari bahan binaan Hemp dapat menyerap 165kg karbon dioksida di udara.
Jadi bukan sahaja ia dapat membina sebuah rumah, malah dapat membersihkan udara
di dalam rumah tersebut.
Hempcrete
Pembersih Air & Tanah
Kerana pokok Hemp mampu menyerap fosforus & bahan-bahan
merbahaya yang terperangkap di dalam tanah (lebihan pengunaan baja tahi ayam), menanam
ladang Hemp mampu membersihkan sebidang tanah & kandungan airnya untuk
penyediaan tanaman seterusnya. Petani tidak lagi perlu membiarkan tanah kosong
untuk beberapa bulan, tanpa hasil, supaya tanah tersebut boleh digunakan semula
(setelah di nyah toksik oleh penanaman Hemp). Oleh kerana kebolehan semulajadi ini, Hemp banyak ditanam di tapak
bencana nuclear Chernobyl, Russia. Kerajaan Jepun patut mengambil insiatif yang
sama untuk insiden di Fukushima.
Hemp sebagai pengawal rumpai
Pengawal Rumpai
Hemp boleh ditanam sebagai pengawal rumpai biologikal. Hemp
mempunyai kanopi yang tinggi, menyekat cahaya matahari ke permukaan tanah.
Sekaligus membantut pertumbuhan rumpai. Hemp juga boleh ditanam dengan rapat,
mengurangkan peluang rumpai untuk bertapak. Petani boleh memanfaatkan penanaman
Hemp sebagai pengawal rumpai, daripada menggunakan racun rumpai yang mencemarkan
alam. Hemp juga boleh menumpaskan
penanaman Ganja & Marijuana. Jika sepohon pokok Hemp ditanam berdekatan
dengan ladang Marijuana, selepas 3 generasi, kandungan bahan psikoaktif THC
dalam semua Marijuana di ladang tersebut akan berkurangan atau hilang sekali
gus. Ini kerana, genetik Hemp akan terkacuk dengan genetik Marijuana. Hemp
secara semulajadi, mengandungi kandungan THC yang amat rendah.
Perskripsi seorang pesakit di California
Ubat
Jika kita nilai saudara Hemp yang berTHC tinggi, Marijuana,
ia juga dapat digunakan sebagai ubat. Pada 1980-an Saintis telah menemui
reseptor Kannabinoid di dalam badan manusia. Reseptor ini hanya dapat
diaktifkan dengan Kannabinoid seperti THC (TetraHydroCannabinol) & CBD
(Cannabidiol) yang terdapat di dalam bunga betina Marijuana. Banyak kajian
telah mendapati penggunaan Marijuana memberi kesan positif kepada manusia. Ia
dapat mengecilkan ketumbuhan, sama ada kanser atau tidak. Ia dapat membantu
beberapa penyakit-penyakit kronik seperti Glaukoma, pelega kesakitan kronik,
Gout, multiple scelrosis, tekanan
darah tinggi, kurang selera makan, muntah-muntah untuk ibu mengandung &
pesakit kanser yang menghadapi terapi Chemo & pelbagai lagi. Ganja juga telah menunjukkan kesan positif terhadap Human Imunnodeficiency Virus (HIV). Pesakit-pesakit HIV yang menggunakan Ganja, mempunyai peluang hidup yang lebih panjang. Ini kerana, THC merangsang reseptor CD4 yang terdapat pada sel imun manusia. HIV memang diketahui untuk menyerang reseptor CD4 ini. Efek Ganja sebagai ubat boleh dilihat dengan jelas di dalam pesakit-pesakit Epilepsi yang diserang sawan. Kannabinoid
juga telah ditemui di dalam susu ibu mengandung. Fungsinya untuk mengstimulasi
perasaan lapar di dalam bayi. Tanpa Kannabinoid, bayi manusia akan mati
kelaparan.
Efek Ganja sebagai ubat Epilepsi
Ganja sebagai ubat Multiple Sclerosis
Proses penggunaan Hemp sebagai bahan bakar
Bahan Api
Akhir sekali & paling penting, Hemp boleh digunakan
sebagai bahan api biojisim mesra alam yang mampan. Jawapan kepada kezaliman
bahan bakar tidak mampan seperti petroleum. Sebab kenapa Hemp diharamkan serata
dunia, ada kena mengena dengan kuasa-kuasa besar yang mengawal sumber tenaga
dunia. Bayangkan anda adalah kuasa monopoli tenaga dunia sekarang, tidakkah
anda takut jika saya beritahu anda, ada sesuatu yang dapat menggantikan sumber
tenaga anda? Ia lebih murah & mesra alam. Pasti anda akan melakukan apa
sahaja supaya tiada orang tahu tentang perkara ini. Dunia sekarang sudah ketagih dengan tenaga. Hampir
semua barang-barang di sekeliing anda sekarang menggunakan tenaga. Itulah
kelemahan kita yang kini menyebabkan kemusnahan alam. Jika 6% Amerika ditanam
dengan Hemp, ia dapat menampung permintaan tenaga seluruh Amerika. Hanya begitu
sedikit untuk meliberalisasikan Amerika daripada bahan bakar konvensional. Hemp
mempunyai 4 kali kemampuan biojisim daripada jagung (bahan bakar biojisim no.1
di dunia sekarang), membuktikan bahawa Hemp adalah sumber biojisim yang
terbaik.
Keratan majalah Popular Mechanics menunjukkan bagaimana Hemp
boleh ditukar kepada bahan bakar
Kelebihan
Setiap hektar ladang Hemp dapat menghasilkan 25 tan bahan
berguna setiap tahun. Dibandingkan dengan gandum & jagung yang hanya mampu
menghasilkan 8.5 tan. Kelapa sawit hanya boleh dituai selepas 4 tahun, Hemp
matang & boleh dituai 3 kali setahun. Perolehan tanaman yang singkat ini
dapat memastikan pembekalan sumber Hemp yang mampan. Bahan mentah dari 1 ekar
tanaman Hemp adalah sama dengan 4 ekar kayu balak & 2 ekar kapas. Tetapi
kelebihan Hemp yang muktamad ialah, kitar penanaman Hemp & pembakaran bahan
bakar Hemp akan mengekalkan tahap karbon dioksida di atmosfera dunia dalam
keadaan seimbang. Ini kerana, penanaman Hemp menyerap karbon dioksida yang
dilepaskan ketika pembakaran bahan api Hemp. Ini bermaksud, penanaman Hemp
tidak akan menambah “Pemanasan Global”. Bahan bakar Hemp juga terbakar bersih,
ia tidak akan menyebabkan hujan asid.
'Hemp For Victory', video awam yang ditayangkan pada 1942. Kerajaan Amerika mendesak petani untuk menanam Hemp sebagai bekalan bahan mentah, bagi membolehkan pihak Allied menang Perang Dunia ke-2. Mengapa ia haram sekarang?
Ini adalah senarai yang amat panjang, tapi malangnya, ia
hanya mampu membongkar sedikit sahaja kegunaan Hemp. Jangan ambil kata saya.
Pergi mencari sendiri kegunaan-kegunaan Hemp & Marijuana, kemudian kongsi
bersama rakan atau keluarga.
I totally loved the intro. It starts with a smack right in the face "these people have BALLS". I mean, planting Hemp right in front of the DEA office??
This movie tells the story of people for (and against) the legalization of Industrial Hemp. The points they make in this movie are impeccable. This movie is filled with facts about Hemp & the law ilegalising it. One particular fact was, the DEA gets paid $1.05 for every Cannabis plant they destroy. 99% of the times, it was the harmless Industrial Hemp. Bam!
Also making appearance in the movie, hardcore Hemp activist/actor Woody Harrelson, where he purposely get arrested for openly (with media & the sheriff's department) planting industrial Hemp & also Willie Nelson. But the more intriguing stories was when they unveiled the story of the Butterfly Girl, who spent 2 years living on a tree that has been around for hundreds & hundreds of years just to save it from being cut down, also the exposure of Native American Indian rights being violated. Right in front of the camera.
Willie "The Man" Nelson
But my favorite moment is when they filmed at the Anti-Hemp Conference. They interviewed a Pulp & Paper Consultant & he did a rough calculation on how much Hemp would sell for a fuel source. Right there & then, he realised that Hemp was actually a very competitive alternative to petroleum. He was flabbergasted. It was hillarious! Check it out at minute 7:00 on the 2nd part.
Hempster Part 1(mind the quality, its the only one available)
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
But I have got to say, I am not the fan of the filming style. But if you think about it, these farmers are the agricultural section of the country, so Hemp being fought for by them makes perfect sense. All & all it was a great movie for Hemp lovers like ourselves, because it was jammed packed with Hemp knowledge.
Share this post with your friends & let this do the educating for them.
" Why is it that everything that is good for our bodies, our communities & our planet are called an 'alternative'? An alternative to what?! ......... we cannot allow them to call Hemp the 'alternative', Hemp is the 'solution'" - Julia Butterfly Hill
Well the president proposed a bill legalizing Cannabis use. But there is a condition. Only the government will be authorised to cultivate & supply legal Cannabis. Can they do better?
"Yes We Can!" Jose Mujica, el Presidente
Just last week, a new bill was introduced. But in this new bill, the government will legalise limited home growing. Plus, a proper National Institute of Cannabis to educate & license growers. The aim of this bill is to outsell drug dealers ( Nice! ). The bill is expected to experience resistant before it is to be passed, but El Presidente is quite confident it will be enforced early next year.
Even though Uruguay is a small country with only 3.3 million population (Malaysia: 29.1 million population), it is still a country. And for a whole country to fully legalise Cannabis & Hemp use, is up to date, the biggest step towards the Hemp Future. Even The Netherlands, Cannabis capital of the world, limits Cannabis use to Coffee Shops. This is is actually much bigger than the legalisation in The States.
The Hemp Future is happening maybe sooner rather than later. So keep on educating yourself & the people around you. Make simple talk out of Industrial Hemp, or Medical Marijuana with your friends & family. Posts about Cannabis & Hemp in FB for your friend to learn (try to use less hostile words like Medical, Industrial, Multi Uses, etc) , or better yet just share this blog. It is really that harmless. Remember, the aim is to get as many people as possible, familiarised with Hemp & its wonders. So when the time comes, we know we will have a much bigger voice.
Lets Hemp The World
"The only harmful thing about Cannabis use is the law prohibiting the use" - The Union
This movie has been nominated for Best Overall Sound & Best Sound Editing for the 2008 Leo awards. The movie also won the Rhode Island International Film Festival award for Best Editing & Winnipeg International Film Festival for Outstanding Documentary Feature. We both personally & heavily recommend this movie to literally EVERYONE! The content is so general that the knowledge affects the younger & older generations. Get your friends, in- laws, brother, sister, mother, father & the whole family over. Let this mind blowing documentary educate the society, so the Hemp Future can be secured in the near future.
So get both your mind & belly filled with quality food & knowledge. Oh did we mention there will be "free popcorn". Do come early, as only 40 seats are available.
"When you know better, you do better" - Maya Angelou
The term pothead has been long associated with a heavy Marijuana user. One who live by the use of Marijuana day by day. A normal Pothead's staple diet includes carbohydrates, proteins,water & Cannabinoids.
That being said, a pothead is quite similar to a human infant, or a baby.
Why?
Because researchers have long found Cannabinoids similar to the ones found in Marijuana, "occurs naturally in human breast milk" . The article claims that without Cannabinoid stimulation, an infant will never learn how to feel hungry, which will lead to nourishment deprivation. In less fancy words, death by hunger (but without even knowing that you are hungry). Here it is in all its fancy glory, for all you doctors & skeptics.
Yet another proof of how naturally close we are intertwined with this miraculous plant. Another huge point in making Hemp based food legal.
But as we are speaking, innocent people are locked in prison for it. Worse, many have gone through the capital punishments. Some are even deprived of their vital medicine We are not talking about the drug dealers & criminals, purposely polluting the youth for personal gain, or the unguided youths, naively taking Cannabis just to chase 'highs'. This is for the innocent people who are the victims of inhumane laws.
People like Cash Michael Hyde, a 4 year old boy who just passed away on the 14th November. His Medical Marijuana supply was blocked by the authority, so his brain cancer won the 3rd round. His brain tumor had gone into remission twice, medicated with Medical Marijuana
Rest In Peace.
"I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast" - Ronald Reagan (funded $1.7 billion dollars in the War on Drugs, mainly aimed at Marijuana)
Hemp; The Cause Theory Though current law, tolerating the use of Cannabis as a medicine & recreational use are taking foot, we cannot yet rejoice and cheer for hemp's victory. As Cannabis in any form, from psychoactive medicine to industrial Hemp, are still widely illegal. To add salt to the wound, some countries, like Malaysia & Singapore, implement harsh & unforgiving rules. Getting caught with enough amount to sell (as little as 200g), or germinating a single Cannabis seed (industrial hemp included), will get you a minimum of life sentence or worst, capital punishment. Laws like this, which are incredibly unreasonable & inhumane (death for growing a plant), suppresses any pro-Cannabis movement in the country & making the pursue for legalizing Hemp a harder run.
What theory?
This theory points out to the scandalous prohibitions of all types Cannabis. Psychoactive Marijuana became the scape goat, said to be a dangerous substance that is associated with negative behaviors & labelled as a schedule 1 controlled substance. Meaning it has no use & benefit for human kind. But the main target of the prohibition was industrial Hemp. Hemp's superiority over other raw materials surely shook some industrial giants. If Hemp was made a main industrial material, some big industries might have to go through billion of dollars in lost revenue or even bankruptcy. People like William Randolp Hearst who controlled timber supplies for the paper industries, DuPont who dominated the petrochemical plastic industries (also the inventor of the Ozone depleting gas CFC), and conveniently the Secretary of Treasury, Andrew Mellon, who also owns the Gulf oil.
Lets Begin!
This is where the story begins. Along with Hemp, there was also competitions from the expensive, in-renewable, time consuming, pollution causing materials. Namely this two giant, logging for wood pulp-paper & petroleum mining. Timber for pulp paper takes 50-100 years to mature & petroleum is down right unsustainable (and running low!) so they are very expensive, in comparison to industrial Hemp. Their main advantage as a raw material, is human's no.1 weakness. Convenience.
To prove that there was a foul play in the prohibition of Cannabis, we have to look at the history of Cannabis, we will learn that there was a period of time, where Hemp was triumphant & celebrated. This was also the period of industrialization. Where the human focus was to build, bigger, faster, taller & stronger everything. Factories' chimney pumped black smoke 24/7, raw materials were used in massive amounts. So the search for the ultimate material that is flexible, strong, & plentiful, begins. Alas, the answer was there all along. It can be planted, so the supply is never ending. It takes just over 100 days to mature & be harvested. It can be turned into food, energy, fabrics, plastics & a million other things. Hemp was & still is, human's best crop.
Refer again to the history of Hemp, right up before 1937, the first prohibition of Cannabis. Before 1937, we can see clear evidences that the world has already accepted Hemp for its uses. Hemp was dubbed the "Billion Dollar Crop" (keep in mind billion in the early 1900s is a REALLY HUGE number!), around that time Henry Ford literally built a car out of Hemp that can also be powered with Hemp, the use of THC rich Marijuana for medicine can be traced back as far as 1000 B.C & also used to "heightened marital pleasures" in 1890's. The world was ready for Cannabis, it has always been a part of human civilization all around the globe. With such cheap & versatile material available, of course some of the other raw material industries feels threatened.
The First Prohibition: "Its The Devil's Harvest!"
On the 2nd of August 1937, something out of the ordinary happened in the U.S. The country who has been profiting, pioneering, & leading in the Hemp industry, suddenly issued the Marihuana Tax Act. Which means anybody wanting to cultivate & use Cannabis need to pay a $1 tax. No problem there, government just trying to earn a quick buck from their people. But the problem was, they were not giving any out. Which is strange. The government at that time, suddenly claims that Marihuana is a dangerous substance & are heavily associated with the African slaves & workers. They claim that black man under the influence of Marihuana will act aggressively, hysteria-like & lewdly on white woman. Such acts was, laughing really loudly, playing the devil music (jazz), dancing, raping a white woman, or stepping on a white man's shadow. Furthermore, "Reefer Madness" a movie with inaccurate & scary depictions of the use of Marijuana became a standard Public Service Announcement. Unsurprisingly, "Reefer Madness" was sponsored by industries related to timbers & petrochemicals.
Hemp Re-legalization: "Need it To Win The War!"
In 1942 though, the US government once again legalize the cultivation of Hemp, this time to support the War Initiative. Not only that it was legalize again, farmers were encouraged to grow Hemp again to support the war effort. Farmers & their sons that grew Hemp for the war effort are excluded from the war draft. Hemp's superiority & ability to "win the war" was clearly shown in the short PSA film "Hemp for Victory".
The Second Prohibition: "Vietnam was what we had, instead of a happy childhoods"
Conveniently a decade after the war ended, in 1955, Cannabis was once again illegal. To understand why, we have to know that in 1955, the Vietnam War began. One of the most controversial war in the human history, next to the invasion of Iraq. The Vietnam War lasted more than 3 times longer (19 years 5 month 29 days) than The World War II (6 years 1 day). Controversies over faulty standard equipments issued to the American forces, looms the war. Hemp no longer is a weapon to win the war, but now an enemy in the war. The US government now outlaw Cannabis because they claim that the effects of smoking Marihuana will weaken the US forces motivation to fight the Vietnam farmers. A soldier under the influence of Marihuana will turn into a slow moving pacifist. Conveniently for the government, the Peace Movement, aiming to end the Vietnam War was mostly participated by Cannabis users. So the government not only stop the Cannabis use in Vietnam & America, they also crushed & destroyed the main opposing force against the Vietnam War, the people.
Wait a minute?
Thats exactly the total opposite reason why they outlawed Cannabis the first time in August 1937. First they say that Cannabis will make the user uber aggressive & generally black. Now they are claiming that Cannabis users will become a big, lazy, peace loving hippie. These obvious wordplays are enough for one to suspect something fishy about the prohibition on Cannabis in general.
Lets "Wrap" it Up
Ever since day 1 of prohibition, we can see that Marijuana is just a scape goat, used to bring down the irreplaceable Hemp. Looking at it from "their" (industries affected by Hemp) perspective, we can see Marijuana at that time, has no threat whatsoever to their industries. But, With this absent of connection to their industries, Marijuana is also the perfect fall-guy. Hemp, on the other hand, can fully replace their products. So illegalising Hemp directly would be too obvious. Hemp was the real target because it will cost them their business & billions of dollars in loss. Destroying their precious monopoly & dynasty in the world's resources. Rendering their unsustainable resources useless.
The benefit of Cannabis as medicine has been known ever since 1000 B.C, but at the time of prohibition, the use of Medical Marijuana, is not a popular issue, not making it a threat to the pharmaceutical industries. Now however, pharmaceutical industries has become one of the big sponsors, supporting the war on drugs. Currently, psycho active Cannabis are widely illegal and so is industrial Hemp. The reason why is because, all developing country under the UN are sanctioned to illegalize Cannabis. Countries including Malaysia & Singapore. America being one of the UN veto power, played a major role in seeing this happen.
So we can see from this elaborated post, how Hemp was actually the real target behind the world wide prohibition of Cannabis & the inaccurate norm that Cannabis products are dangerous & harmful drugs that can lead to psychosis & also a gateway to harder narcotics. Which, if you are well informed enough, we all know is not the truth.
Both Washington and Colorado states today, passed the recreational marijuana legalizations. Which means that it is now legal for an adult, above 21 years of age, to consume, produce, cultivate and distribute any Cannabis products. Effective by 6th of December 2012. Massachusetts has also pass a law legalizing the use of Medical Marijuana for certified patients.
But the Federal US Law, total prohibition of Marijuana, still stands. Spectators assumed the sharp raise of Cannabis tourists visiting the states, in addition to already established tourism industry in Colorado and Washington state, where the annual Hempfest, a 3 day Hemp galore, are held. On the other hand, a drop of leisure tourists are also expected.
Nonetheless, another small step towards the Hemp Future.
Medical Marijuana is not a recent news. Scientific studies and researches proves that Cannabidiol (CBD), a type of Cannabinoids, has an excellent anti-inflammatory effects, both on benign and cancerous tumors. CBD is also associated with diminishing chronic pains, such as gout and arthritis. Medical Marijuana promotes healthy appetite and reduces nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemo therapy. But one of the more visible example of the effect of using Medical grade Marijuana, is on multiple sclerosis and parkinson patients. If that still does not convince you that Marijuana is safe, moreover beneficial, to human kind, maybe you should know that Cannabinoids Receptors has been found, primarily in our brain, but also in both male and female reproduction system. These receptors are only able to cling on Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. Also, Cannabinoids same to the one found in Marijuana are naturally produced in breast milks. So without any doubt, human do have a link to the Cannabis plant.
That being said, the current news is that the Israeli's government, which has a proper research facilities specifically for Medical Marijuana, has successfully isolate the psychoactive ingredient in Marijuana, TetraHydroCannabinol (THC). Now, Medical Marijuana patients, can safely consume and medicate on the CBD rich Medical Marijuana, without getting the psychoactive effects from the THC.
Hemp once again, is proving its capability as a beneficial and multi purpose plant. Its only a matter of years before people will start realizing the use of Hemp. Help the exposure of Hemp, educate your friends and family.
Do your part for your future.
"Hemp is naturally draught resistant, pest free & generally a very hardy plant. I am sure it can survive human prohibition" - Anonymous
Ace and I did a little presentation for our Alternative Voices class today. For those who missed it, you can view or download the slides here. Share it with your class and educate your classmates about the importances and advantages of hemp.
We only have one Home. For now, there are no other. Even if there is, we are not technologically able to reach the distance. Watch this free documentary and share it with everyone else you know. Because no matter where you are from, what race you are and what your religion you believe in, we all share the same HOME.
There is no better way to say this. We have no time to waste, hemp must be legalized and mass produce again. We need to save our HOME!
"Why is Hemp against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit...unnatural?" - Bill Hicks
Global warming, thinning ozone layer, rising sea level and increasing natural disasters. Not to mention depleting natural resources, uncontrollable pollution and land fill shortage. All these caused by human kind. Caused by our presence, our civilizations and our modernizations. Human unsatisfiable greed for convenience, lead us to where we are now. A neon paradise of advertisements, run by ever advancing technology, an electronic and mechanical wonderland with architectural marvels and soaring sky scrapers in the background. But all that is just a mirage of the real earth; a toxic land fill, deep in our own waste, unsustainable and doomed for destruction.
What are we doing? Why are we marching so damn proudly towards extinction? Why can't we just admit, yes, our fathers made a mistake? Why can't we just accept the fact that yes, somewhere in time, we messed up by putting our own importance first? Instead of taking care of the earth that provides us with everything that we have now? Why can't we start living with the land, not just on it, and using all thats in it?Why are we still chasing the dream of total convenience? Why are we still guzzling what we know cannot replenish? What then? What happened when it does? We human just slowly depreciate? then ultimately disappear? Or do we flee up to space, and find another earth? Mars maybe? Human's future is too important to just be a "maybe".
Scientists researching the damage of global warming all over the world, gather up their data. Compiled them and came up with a simple conclusion. "Human have 10 years to start reversing the damage, before the global warming pass the point where nothing is possible to reverse it ". There. The facts are laid down in front of our eyes. The numbers are staggering. We see the effect. Feel it everyday. 10 years ago, sun glasses are fashion accessories. Now they are hard to live without. 10 years ago, you would have to wear 3 layers of clothing to bare the temperature on a local highland. Now, shorts and a jacket is sufficient. We feel it, we can't deny it. Lets not play stupid by ignoring these signs of distress.
In 10 years, we still have hope. A renewable hope. A sustainable hope. A hope fueled by nature. But this hope is so dimmed, that we human need to do something extra ordinary. Something, never, in the human history, ever been done. Something so big, it involve the whole world. The world need to accept hemp. We need hemp to save us. We must admit we did a mistake, and we must legalize hemp. In 5 years, the United Nation should start distributing millions of ton of hemp seeds, to be planted all over the world. We need to change our inorganic and depleting fuel source to hemp biomass fuel. We need to warm, feed, shelter, purify, run, and power the world with hemp. Earth has already provided the answer 10,000 years ago, and it was put into good us. It is just us, the current generations, who are the ignorant fools. Lets be the change.
Hemp it!
"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country" - Thomas Jefferson
Hemp is woven into fabric and grows in popularity over time
on a global scale to eventually provide over 80% of all textiles and fabrics.
4800 B.C
Yangshao culture from this time, used hemp extensively to the extend of decoration. A vase, decorated with hemp cord designs was one of the few evidence.
2700 B.C
Cannabis, as hemp fabric and cordage, medicine, and food,
has been incorporated into virtually all cultures of the Middle East, Asia
Minor, India, China, Japan, and Africa.
2300 B.C.
Nomadic tribes from the East migrate into the Mediterranean
regions and eventually Europe, introducing hemp along the way.
1000 B.C.
Hemp is the world's largest agricultural crop, providing
materials to support civilization's most important industries, including fiber
for fabric and rope, lamp oil for lighting, paper, medicine and food for both
humans and domesticated animals.
Hemp Extracts are the #1, #2, and #3 most important and most
frequently used medicine for two-thirds of the world's population.
500 B.C
Ninety percent of the sailcloth and rigging lines used for
all sea-going vessels is made from hemp. ( including the U.S. ship
'Constitution', better known as 'Old Ironsides'.)
100 A.D.
Chinese discover how to make paper from hemp.
1470's
Gutenberg Bible is printed on hemp paper.
1564
King Philip of Spain mandated the cultivation of hemp for
food, fiber and medicine throughout the Spanish territory in Central and South
America.
1600
Rembrandt paints on hemp canvas.
1611
King James Bible is printed on hemp paper.
1619
America's first hemp law is enacted at Jamestown Colony,
Virginia, ordering all farmers to grow hemp.
1631
'Must grow' hemp laws are enacted throughout Massachusetts.
1631 to early
1800's
Hemp is 'legal tender' and taxes may be paid with hemp
throughout most of the Americas.
1914 Federal Reserved $10 note. With the motive of hemp farming printed on hemp paper.
1632 to mid
`1700's
'Must grow' hemp laws enacted in Connecticut and the Chesapeake
Colonies.
1700
Gainesborough paints on hemp canvas.
1740 - 1940
Russia is the world's largest and 'best quality' producer of
hemp, supplying 80% of Western hemp rope.
1750's
Benjamin Franklin starts one of America's first hemp-rag
paper mills.
1763 - 1767
Farmers who do not grow hemp can be arrested and jailed in
Virginia.
1776
The patriotic populace organizes spinning bees to turn hemp
fiber into clothing for General Washington's Continental Army.
1776
First and second drafts of the Declaration of Independence
are written on hemp paper.
1777
The Stars and Stripes is endorsed as the Capitol Flag of the
U.S.A. and made of hemp fabric.
Declarion of Independece
1790's
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grow hemp on their
plantations.
1800's
Van Gogh paints on hemp canvas.
Australians survive two prolonged famines by using hemp seed
for protein and leaves for roughage.
Hemp seed oil, long the most popular lighting oil in the
world, falls to second place in popularity as whale oil becomes widely
accessible.
The use of hemp extracts as a recreational stimulant spreads
through Western culture and romantic writers expound on individual freedom and
human dignity, extolling cannabis use. Their works include: The Count of Monte
Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking
Glass.
1812
America goes to war with Great Britain over free-trade
access to Russian hemp.
1837 - 1901
Queen Victoria uses cannabis resins to treat menstrual
cramps, sparking enormous interest in the uses of cannabis as a medicine in the
English- speaking world.
1840
Abraham Lincoln uses hemp-seed oil to fuel his household
lamps.
He also writes ( as a general statement on government
function and legislation ): "Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of
reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by making a crime out of
things that are not crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very
principles upon which our government was founded."
1842 - 1890
Extracts and derivatives of the hemp plant are the second
and third most prescribed medicines in the U.S.A. Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis,
Squibb, Brothers Smith and other firms produce these medicines through 1930.
During this time, not one death or severe side-effect is recorded as an
attribute to use.
1850
U.S. census records 8,327 hemp plantations of 2,000 acres or
more and an uncalculated number of small hemp farms.
1860
'Ganjah Wallah Hasheesh Candy Company' produces one of the
most popular candies in the U.S. It is made from cannabis derivatives and maple
sugar, sold over-the-counter, and in Sears-Roebuck catalogs. It retains its
popularity as a totally harmless and fun candy for over forty years.
1865
Alice in Wonderland is published on hemp paper.
1870's
The popularity of smoking female cannabis tops, to ease the
back-breaking labor of working sugar cane fields and tolerate the hot sun as
well as to relax recreationally with no alcohol "hang-over", begins
to spread in the West Indies with the immigration of Hindus who are imported to
provide cheap labor. Gradually, this popularity makes its way into the United
States through St. Louis.
1883
Hashish smoking parlors have opened in every major American
city, including an estimated 500 such establishments in New York City alone.
1890's
Popular American 'marriage guides' recommend cannabis
extracts for heightened marital pleasures. Women's temperance groups, lobbying
for alcohol prohibition, suggest cannabis as a suitable substitute for the
'demon drink'.
A 'hempily' married couple.
1901 - 1937
U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts repeatedly that with
the advent of machinery capable of harvesting, stripping and separating the
hemp fiber from the pulp, hemp will again be America's "Number One"
crop.
1916
U.S.D.A. publishes Bulletin No. 404, "Hemp Hurds As
Paper-Making Material," extolling and demonstrating the outstanding
qualities of paper manufactured from hemp-pulp, a new process. The document was
printed on hemp-pulp paper and explained the new technology. Previously most
all paper was made with the hemp fiber content of 'rag' (worn out clothing).
1920
To this point in time, U.S. Government papers were written,
by law, on "hempen rag paper".
1929
Henry Ford begins extensive research into the production of
methanol (as a fuel) and the manufacture of plastics from renewable vegetable crops, including hemp.
1935
116 million pounds of hemp seed are used commercially in
America to manufacture paint and varnish.
1937
February uncensored issue of Mechanical Engineering includes the
feature story "The Most Profitable and Desirable Crop That Can Be
Grown" which tells about the new machines being used to harvest hemp.
The Marihuana
Tax Act HR 6385 was enacted; this required a $1 tax stamp on the cultivation of
marihuana and hemp. If somebody wanted to
plant hemp, they would have to buy a tax stamp from the government. The issue
for those in opposition of this tax related to the underhanded manner in which
this tax was enacted. Which means
the government is not giving out any tax stamps. It is said, the government was
in a strict move to illegalize Marijuana. They believe that people who smokes Marijuana are raving, negrito lunatics, that play devils music (jazz), rape white
woman, behaving violently and have the tendency to behave inappropriately, such
as stepping on a white man’s shadow. Anti Marijuana public service films were
made to depict this intolerance behavior. Films like “Reefer Madness”.
Suprisingly, this came after almost 10,000 years if use and hemp is at its
peaking popularity. Of course, the prohibition of hemp and Marijuana did
make a lot of powerful corporation rich. Those thought to gain the most were
Hearst who owned large timber holdings, which feed the paper industry. DuPont
who dominated the petrochemical market, which manufactured plastics, paints,
and other products of fossil fuels and the Secretary of the Treasury and owner
of Gulf oilAndrew Mellon who pushed legislation through congress giving tax
breaks to oil companies. The Conspiracy was against hemp, it threaten certain
vested financial and industrial interest especially those in the paper and
petrochemical industries.
$1 Marihuana Tax Stamp
Public Service about the 'danger' of Marijuana and hemp.
1938
The February issue of Popular Mechanics runs a story,
(prepared before the 1937 legislation was enacted) titled: "New Billion
Dollar Crop."
1941
December issue of Popular Mechanics features a story on
Henry Ford, showing a picture of the car he "grew from the soil." The
automobile's "plastic panels with impact strength 10 times greater than
steel were made from flax, wheat, hemp, and spruce pulp." The auto weighed
1/3 less than its 100% steel contemporaries.
1942
U.S. government overrides its own ban on hemp and
distributes 400,000 pounds of hemp seed to U.S farmers who produce 42,000 tons
of hemp fiber annually to support the war effort until 1946.
Posters, to once again encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the war effort.
U.S. farmers, are
inundated by "Uncle Sam" with incentives to grow hemp. The U.S.D.A.
makes it mandatory for farmers to attend showings of the "Hemp For Victory" film. Farmers and their sons
who agree to grow hemp are exempt from military service, even though America is
at war.
Hemp For Victory
1955
Both hemp and Marijuana are once again banned and declared
illegal. This time the government concluded that smoking Marijuana would make
you a big lazy pacifist. The alleged point was, enemy would use it against the US fighting
troops to supposedly drop their fighting morale. The government now is
illegalizing hemp for the opposite reasons why they banned it first in 1937.
1972
U.S.D.A. finds that hemp seed is lower in saturated fats
than any other vegetable oil (including soybean and canola).
Other studies note that until this century hemp-cake (the
by-product of pressing the seed for oil ) was one of the world's principle
animal feeds.
It is also found that hemp seed, like soybeans, can produce
a tofu-like curd and be spiced to taste like chicken, steak or pork; can be
sprouted for salads, ground into meal, and also made into margarine.
Hemp seed is recommended as a nutritionally balanced food
for domestic pets and farm animals.
1975
Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discover that
cannabis is incredibly successful for reducing the size of many types of
tumors, both benign and cancerous.
1989
Garments containing hemp fiber are available to the American
public for the first time in over 50 years, however, this clothing must be
imported to the U.S. from China (via Hong Kong) and carries a huge protective
tariff.
1992
Australia
licences hemp farming.
1993
England
eases restriction on hemp farming. News media declare hemp clothes and cannabis
leaf logo hottest new fashion.
1994
Under
the CNCA, one license was granted to a Canadian company, Hempline Inc., to grow
hemp experimentally in Canada under the strict supervision of the authorities.
1996
The
Canadian federal government passed Bill C8 stating that mature hemp stalks are
exemptfrom the list of controlled substances.
1998
The Canadian government legalizes the commercial growth of
industrial hemp. 2012 Israeli Scientist successfully extracted out THC from female Cannabis bud. Resulting to non-psychoactive Medical Marijuana. Washington & Colorado legalized Marijuana. Adult over the age of 21 can consume & cultivate Marijuana for recreational use without any penalty.
