Corn for food; hemp for fuel

Thomas Jefferson said that hemp was vital to the future of the nation.

Lobbying by DuPont and Hearst newspapers resulted in the ban on hemp growth. Hemp for making ethanol can replace the use of corn, which is expensive to grow and is needed worldwide to fight hunger.

The hemp plant is not the same as the marijuana plant.

We cannot afford to continue the subsidies being paid for corn in connection with ethanol production. It is time to change to hemp or switch grass for making ethanol. Both of them are far less expensive to grow and neither of them deplete the soil as does corn. Switch grass does not require replanting after each cutting.

Congress can authorize the USDA to license farmers to grow hemp in a manner that allows easy inspection to assure no marijuana growth. Provisions of the legislation must include exemptions for hemp products from all building codes that would bar their use.

Among hemp products are building insulation that is more effective than fiberglass with no recycling problem, along with building blocks that insulate so well that heating and air conditioning are often not needed.

We also must consider using idle federal lands for growing these items since there is concern that not enough land is available to supply all the corn for worldwide demand.

Desperate measures are needed for desperate times. It is time to stand up to the lobbying of the likes of Monsanto & Archer Daniels Midland and do what’s right for the American people. This will be a boon to the building industry, save on energy, and create lasting and meaningful jobs.

J. Norman Campbell

Elgin