Pubdate: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Donna Dixon Woodall Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp) HEMP LAWS ABSURD I read a news article online from a major media source reporting that marijuana does not cause brain damage. Who knew? Not all the ex-hippies who toked then -- and do now -- and are heads of major corporations, charities, museums, and pretty much the whole gamut. They're everywhere. Yet Kentucky's major newspapers lack for information on this subject. It seems to be our natural state of being. I was speechless when a former governor of Kentucky went public with the fact he didn't know the truth about hemp and marijuana while he was in office. Kentucky had the leading hemp crop for centuries before the government let Randolph Hearst use the judicial system to eliminate competition for his products. The viable crop to replace the really bad drug, tobacco, is obviously hemp; and we have the economy and offshoots of business that can use the hemp fiber, clothing, horse bedding, bird seed, unlimited products that have commercial need. And yet we still can't grow hemp because the local police might confuse it for something evil, like heroin or cocaine. Stupidity needs to be legislated and made a criminal offense. Donna Dixon Woodall Georgetown - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk