Industrial Hemp Essay - 2042 Words

In his essay, quot;Resources and Environmental Policy,quot; Jan Narveson claims that, quot;there are no global shortages of anything that we have to worry about.quot; In this claim he makes two basic assumptions about resources. The first assumption concerns infinite substitutability; no matter what we need, we will always be able to find something else that will work just as well or better. The second assumption concerns infinite technological advancement; we will always be able to invent something that will either allow us to use a resource more efficiently and extend its life span, or we will invent something that will allow us to exploit a new resource and thus render the previously scarce resource obsolete. The major problem†¦show more content†¦The first issue I will address is how hemp production can greatly reduce our dependence on petroleum. For example, hemp seed oil is easily converted to biodiesel. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that can be made from any fat or oil and can be used in any diesel engine with little or no modification. Rudolph Diesel originally designed his engine to run on peanut oil. With a bounty of raw materials, and cheap and easy backyard production, it was slated to be the quot;peoples fuelquot;. But when Lucas and the Hamill brothers struck oil at Spindletop, Texas, in 1901, ingenuity inevitably took a back seat to big business investment. Initial research has shown that biodiesel, liter for liter, generates about 90 percent of the heat of traditional fossil fuels, and the resulting air emissions are significantly lower in sulphur, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. Burning these fuels also does not contribute to global warming. Fossil fuels increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere because the carbon they release upon combustion has been locked away for millennia. The carbon released by the combustion of biodiesel first had to be removed from the atmosphere by the plant that produced the oils it was derived from. Thus, no net gain occurs when said carbon is released. Biodiesel is also safer for people and the environment since it is non-toxic and biodegradable. Oil spills will no longer be multi-million dollar environmental catastrophes.Show MoreRelatedIndustrial Hemp1004 Words   |  5 PagesLegalize Industrial Hemp General Purpose: To inform the class on why industrial hemp is illegal and the benefits of legalizing industrial hemp. Specific Purpose: To provide my audience with a better understanding of how useful industrial hemp could be for the economy. Central Idea: Due to the war on drugs, hemp production is severely limited; however, with the proper legalization and regulation of this plant the U.S. economy would prosper due to job creation and the environment would benefitRead MoreEssay on Industrial Hemp565 Words   |  3 PagesHemp is the longest, strongest most durable natural fiber known to mankind and has been used for over twelve thousand years. Hemp can be grown in four months, is drought resistant and does not require herbicides or pesticides. The hemp plant is harvested for its fibers, seed, seed-meal and seed oil. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. Due to the similar leaf shape; hemp is frequently confused with marijuana. Although both plants are from the species cannabis, hemp containsRead MoreEssay on Industrial Hemp for the Future1622 Words   |  7 PagesIndustrial Hemp is an ancient crop, which has a multitude of diverse uses. The earliest uses of Hemp can be traced back to the S umerians and probably even earlier in man’s unrecorded history. Industrial Hemp is not Marijuana though the two plants are of the same family and have passing resemblance to one another. Industrial Hemp’s myriad uses are being rediscovered and at the forefront of research in diverse fields. I will be attempting to dispel some of the myth, and providing history and provenRead MorePersuasive Speech on Industrial Hemp1164 Words   |  5 Pagesknow the difference between industrial hemp and marijuana? Would you like to? The purpose of this speech is to explain the differences in marijuana and industrial hemp, and to show the need to reform the present hemp laws in the United States in order to make hemp available for industrial purposes. The hemp plant shows its unique versatility by having many uses in industry and hemp has many distinct benefits over its counterpart in industry today. The usage of hemp would result in cleaner andRead MoreProposal For Legalizing Ind ustrial Hemp2349 Words   |  10 PagesHEMP FREEDOM: A Proposal for Legalizing Industrial Hemp Cultivation For Earl Ray Tomblin, 35th and current Governor of West Virginia By Jonathon Flight, Co-owner of Winkin’Sun Hemp April 14, 2015 Date: April 14, 2015 To: Earl Ray Tomblin From: Jonathon Flight Subject: Proposal for Legalizing Industrial hemp cultivation The U.S. government, in all its wisdom, treats hemp and marijuana in the same manner. Despite one offering no psychoactive effects (hemp)Read MoreIndustrial Hemp Struggles with Marijuana Stigma1198 Words   |  5 PagesIndustrial Hemp Struggles With Marijuana Stigma As the issue of legalizing marijuana remains complicated and highly controversial, a lesser-known yet increasingly significant side effect continues to transpire in the background: the suppression of its incredibly useful and diverse distant cousin, industrial hemp. Both marijuana and hemp have a long history in the United States. Unfortunately, because both plants are from the cannabis species, hemp was pigeonholed into a â€Å"dangerous drug† classificationRead More Industrial Hemp Should be Legal Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pageswhether drug-type Cannabis should be legalized for recreational or medicinal purposes, what it will discuss is the many environmentally friendly products that can be made from non-psychoactive hemp. The Columbia History of the World states that the first archaeological record of human industry is a piece of hemp fabric. This is testament to the fact that the Cannabis plant has been used since the dawn of mankind for all types of purposes, and only lately has fallen out of use due to it’s prohibitionRead MoreHemp Is The Most Desirable, Industrial Plants On The Planet1263 Words   |  6 PagesHemp is one of the most desirable, industrial plants on the planet. The plant is also one of the most versatile plants known to man, and can be used for the purposes of feed, clothing, paint, paper and plastic, but cultivation is still illegal. More importantly, hemp is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable resource that can improve people’s lives with minimal environmental impact. Hemp is more commonly referred to as Cannabis, which is the entire genus. Cannabis sativa is what is grown forRead MoreEssay Legalizing the Growth of Industrial Hemp2726 Words   |  11 Pagesabolishment of hemp has not only hurt American farmers, but also affects every citizen’s day to day life. This plant has been used for thousands of years all around the world, but in recent years it has been morphed into the devil weed it is seen as today. The unfortunate cause of this view is the assumption that marijuana and industrial hemp are one in the same. This view does have some validity but that cannot outweigh the fact that these products are far from identical. The benefits of hemp cannot beRead MoreHemp Is The Most Desirable, Industrial Plants On The Planet1264 Words   |  6 PagesIndustrial Hemp Hemp is one of the most desirable, industrial plants on the planet. The plant is also one of the most versatile plants known to man and can be used for the purposes of feed, clothing, paint, paper, and plastic, but cultivation is still illegal. More importantly, hemp is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable resources that can improve people’s lives with minimal environmental impact. Hemp is more commonly referred to as Cannabis, which is the entire genus. Cannabis sativa