Hemp, Hemp, Hooray

The first draft of the Constitution, Levi’s and the American flag have one thing in common-they were all originally made from hemp, according to members of the Texas Hemp Coalition. THC says marijuana has myriad environmental, medi cal and practical uses-and could be a boon to America; if it were legalized.

Since its formation in February of last year, the Dallas branch of the THC has been trying to educate Dallasites about the benefits of hemp and to dispel “the myths of Reefer Madness,” say THC directors Bobby Wilbanks and Scott Frederick. With approximately 40 million marijuana smokers in the United States, Frederick says legalization is not important for recreational use. because people will smoke regardless.

THC, like most legalization groups, is a grass-roots movement whose teachings are based on Los Angeles head shop owner Jack Herer’s book The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a potpourri of marijuana lore. THC also touts hemp as a substitute for paper and a biodegradable alternative to plastic, and points to its well-known ability to relieve nausea and stimulate the appetites of cancer patients.

Herer believes so strongly in his research that he offers “a S10,000 challenge to the world to prove us wrong.” Though AI Gore picked up a copy of the book at the Ohio State Fair, it’s unlikely that Congress will soon legalize pot-or reinstate a 1943 law requiring farmers with over 100 acres to use 10 percent for a Hemp for Victory program.