Dear Fellow Concerned Citizen; The following information was compiled from literature that I received at the July 4, 1993 Pro-Hemp rally in Milwaukee, WI. The rally was sponsored by the Milwaukee Chapter of NORML - The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. I personally have not smoked marijuana in many years, but feel the repeal of marijuana prohibition will have a positive socio-economic impact on our country, in addition to reducing the strain on our dwindling natural resources. Please take a few minutes to read this, and if you find our position to be valid, I urge you to write your senators and congressmen expressing your views. Your opinion DOES matter, but it won't be heard in Washington unless you send a letter. Elected officials are obligated to act in accordance with their constituent's wishes, but very few voters ever write to Congress. This means that your single letter is speaking for thousands, if not millions of your fellow citizens. Exercise your rights as an American, and exercise them often, or somebody else will speak for you. If you have any comments or questions, please contact your local NORML chapter. Thank you for your time. Todd Mailandt 5379 Eastway, Apt. 2 Greendale, WI 53129 (414) 423-1740 For More Information: NORML P.O. Box 92251 Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 273-HEMP HEMP & THE ECONOMY (Compiled by the Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp - BACH) Hemp's Role in Economic History Hemp is regarded as probably being the first crop cultivated by humans, as early as 8,000 B.C. in the Middle East. It provided the sails for ships that allowed commerce and made Columbus' trip to America possible (other fibers would have decayed somewhere in mid-Atlantic). Hemp replaced papyrus as the source of paper that fostered the spread of written knowledge. Hemp was the largest cash crop in the world until the late 19th century, when new technology began to replace it. But marijuana is again the largest cash crop in America; it generates almost four times as much revenue ($41.6 billion/yr) as does it's closest competitor, corn ($13.37 billion), according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. But this is only a small fraction of the potential revenue that will be generated when hemp again takes it's rightful place in the agricultural, textile, food, fuel, cordage, fabrication, pharmaceutical, paper and other affected businesses. Currently, enforcement of the prohibition and eradication programs cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, has created a non-taxed black market of tens of billions of dollars and has increased the domestic marijuana crop, according to the DEA. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimated that there were 29 million regular users of marijuana and hashish in 1985 and 21 million in 1988. Most sources regard these federal figures as being low. However, even based on the low figures, it is clear that there is a lucrative market in smoking paraphernalia worth billions of dollars that is suppressed. Hemp Saves Farms Hemp was the major cash crop of the U.S., including most of the areas suffering from family farm foreclosures, until just before the Great Depression. But the "cash crop of tomorrow" cannot legally be used to end the farm crisis of today. Hemp For Clothing Fabrics made from hemp are warmer, softer, stronger, more water absorbent and last 26 times longer than cotton. This amazing plant fiber holds it's shape as well as polyester, but "breathes" and is biodegradable because it is organic. It has been valued for it's durability since before recorded history. It can be woven as smooth as silk or as intricately as lace. The canvas sails on generations of ships and the original Levi jeans were made of hemp. The quality of this fiber has yet to be surpassed. Hemp For Paper Paper made from hemp lasts many times longer than that made of wood pulp, without yellowing or otherwise deteriorating. It does not require dangerous chemicals like wood, and has been called the "archivist's perfect paper". The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both originally drafted on hemp, the basis of our free press. The Gutenberg Bibles were made of it, as were illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages. It replaced papyrus as a source of paper. But prohibition laws have led to the destruction of 70% of America's forests since 1937. Help us restore hemp to it's rightful place in history. Hemp Could Save S&L's The Savings & Loan industry could recoup many of it's losses by allowing debtors (i.e., real estate) to invest in hemp. By way of comparison, the federal cost overrun of the S&L bailout program submitted by President Bush in August, 1989, is $50 billion, and money from marijuana sales for 1988 was 41.6 billion, meaning that the money generated by sales of relaxational hemp alone could pay 80% or more of the difference. Estimates of the total legitimate revenues that would be generated by legal commerce in hemp range from 10 to 100 times that amount. But hemp is held hostage by protectionist laws. Help restore competition & security to the American economy. HEMP FOR FUEL (Excerpted from Energy Farming in America, by Lynn Osburn) Biomass conversion to fuel has proven economically feasible, first in laboratory tests and by continuous operation of pilot plants in field tests since 1973. When the energy crop is growing, it takes in CO2 from the air, so when it is burned, the CO2 is released, creating a balanced system. Biomass is the term used to describe all biologically produced matter. World production of biomass is estimated at 146 billion metric tons per year, mostly wild plant growth. Some farm crops and trees can produce up to 20 metric tons per acre of biomass a year. Types of algae and grasses may produce 50 metric tons per year. This biomass has a heating value of 5000-8000 BTU/lb, with virtually no ash or sulfur produced during combustion. About 6% of contiguous United States land area put into cultivation for biomass could supply all current demands for oil and gas. The foundation upon which this will be achieved is the emerging concept of "energy farming", wherein farmers grow and harvest crops for biomass conversion to fuels. Pyrolysis is the technique of applying high heat to organic matter (lignocellulosic materials) in the absence of air or or in reduced air. The process can produce charcoal, condensable organic liquids (pyrolitic fuel oil), non-condensable gases, acetic acid, acetone and methanol. The process can be adjusted to favor charcoal, pyrolitic oil, gas, or methanol production with a 95.5% fuel-to-feed efficiency. Pyrolysis has been used since the dawn of civilization. Ancient Egyptians practiced wood distillation by collecting the tars and pyroligneous acid for use in their embalming industry. Methanol-powered automobiles and reduced emissions from coal-fired power plants can be accomplished by biomass conversion to fuel utilizing pyrolysis technology, and at the same time save the American family farm while turning the American heartland into a prosperous source of clean energy production. Pyrolysis has the advantage of using the same technology now used to process crude fossil fuel oil and coal. Coal and oil conversion is more efficient in terms of fuel-to-feed ratio, but biomass conversion by pyrolysis has many environmental and economic advantages over coal and oil. Pyrolysis facilities will run three shifts a day. Some 68% of the energy of the raw biomass will be contained in the charcoal and fuel oils made at the facility. This charcoal has nearly the same heating value in BTU as coal, with virtually no sulfur. Pyrolytic fuel oil has similar properties to No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oil. The charcoal can be transported economically by rail to all urban area power plants generating electricity. The fuel oil can be transported economically by trucking creating more jobs for Americans. When these plants use charcoal instead of coal, the problems of acid rain will begin to disappear. When this energy system is on line producing a steady supply of fuel for electrical power plants, it will be more feasible to build the complex gasifying systems to produce methanol from the cubed biomass, or make synthetic gasoline from the methanol by the addition of the Mobil Co. process equipment to the gasifier. Farmers must be allowed to grow an energy crop capable of producing 10 tons per acre in 90-120 days. This crop must be woody in nature and high in lignocellulose. It must be able to grow in all climactic zones in America. And it should not compete with food crops for the most productive land, but be grown in rotation with food crops or on marginal land where food crop production isn't profitable. When farmers can make a profit growing energy, it will not take long to get 6% of continental American land mass into cultivation of biomass fuel -- enough to replace our economy's dependence on fossil fuels. We will no longer be increasing the CO2 burden in the atmosphere. The threat of global greenhouse warming and adverse climactic change will diminish. To keep costs down, pyrolysis reactors need to be located within a 50 mile radius of the energy farms. This necessity will bring life back to our small towns by providing jobs locally. Hemp is the number one biomass producer on planet earth: 10 tons per acre in approximately four months. It is a woody plant containing 77% cellulose. Wood produces 60% cellulose. This energy crop can be harvested with equipment readily available. It can be "cubed" by modifying hay cubing equipment. This method condenses the bulk, reducing trucking costs from the field to the pyrolysis reactor. And the biomass cubes are ready for conversion with no further treatment. Hemp is drought resistant, making it an ideal crop in the dry western regions of the country. Hemp is the only biomass resource capable of making America energy independent. And our government outlawed it in 1938. Remember, in 10 years, by the year 2000, America will have exhausted 80% of her petroleum reserves. Will we then go to war with the Arabs for the privilege of driving our cars; will we stripmine our land for coal, and poison our air so we can drive our automobiles an extra 100 years; will we raze our forests for our energy needs? During World War II, our supply of hemp was cut off by the Japanese. The federal government responded to the emergency by suspending marijuana prohibition. Patriotic American farmers were encouraged to apply for a license to cultivate hemp and responded enthusiastically. Hundreds of thousands of acres of hemp were grown. The argument against hemp production does not hold up to scrutiny: hemp grown for biomass makes very poor grade marijuana. The 20 to 40 million Americans who smoke marijuana would loath to smoke hemp grown for biomass, so a farmer's hemp biomass crop is worthless as marijuana. It is time the government once again respond to our economic emergency as they did in WWII to permit our farmers to grow American hemp so this mighty nation can once again become energy independent and smog free. NORML YOU DON'T HAVE TO SMOKE MARIJUANA TO JOIN NORML By Don Fiedler, National Director When Keith Stroup founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in October of 1970, he defined NORML as the marijuana consumer's lobby. In an interview in Gallery magazine in August, 1978, the first National Director estimated that there were "15 million regular users of marijuana". Stroup went on to say, "Can you imagine? If you can get 15 million people that cared enough about reforming marijuana laws...?" Can you imagine? Can you imagine if each marijuana consumer would have sent NORML just one dollar a year since Keith made that statement more than a decade ago? There was, and is, a political sleeping giant snoozing away with our natural constituency. If there ever was a time for an awakening, it is now; and a rude awakening it will be. The Drug War: The plan serves up the casual user of marijuana as one of the main courses, with recipes of zero tolerance, user accountability and demand reduction that threaten the marijuana consumer's liberty, assets and job security. The sobering fact is that, even if our natural constituency becomes activated, it is going to require another important ingredient to stop the marijuana prohibition pendulum's repressive swing backward. Simply put, the issue was, is and always will be one of choice. The nation's citizens should have the right to make responsible decisions regarding how they control their bodies, especially when intoxicants like alcohol and tobacco are legal and pose a far greater harm than marijuana. You do not have to be a woman or have an abortion to be Pro-Choice; you do not have to use marijuana to support NORML. There can be a strong case made for non-marijuana users to join NORML. The current marijuana laws are draconian enough. After the National Drug Control Strategy is implemented by Congress, enforcement of the new laws will present the next major step in the creation of the police state/martial law mentality which is so pervasive in the country today. True Justice: In the age of Pericles, some 2,500 years ago, a famed Athenian jurist named Solon said, "True justice will exist only when those not affected by a law are as indignant as those who are." There are millions of indignant non-marijuana users who are fearful of what America is becoming in the name of a drug-free society. When the prohibition becomes worse than the drug itself, it is time to end the prohibition. You do not have to use marijuana to share these thoughts. Constructive Use of Tax Revenue: The over-burdened taxpayer understands the hypocrisy of alcohol and tobacco being legal and taxed, while marijuana is neither legal nor taxed. The difference between enforcement costs to continue the prohibition and the tax yield with regulation is conservatively estimated at $50 billion - another fact which supports the proposition that NORML is not just for the marijuana consumer. With the $50 billion tax revenue, NORML offers the best solution to the drug problem. Solutions which can answer the question the politicians can't: How do you take an inner-city youth (which, as Jesse Jackson says, is a code word for "Black or Hispanic"), and motivate him or her to get a job working at Burger King for $3.50 an hour, when that youngster can go out on the streets and earn $350 an hour selling crack? And it's not just a financial question. The minority viewpoint - and a justifiable one - is that they can count on their buddies or fellow gang members more than they can expect any help or hope from the government. The increased tax base from legalized marijuana offers funding which could go for educational and occupational programs that are meaningful, and to an alternative way of living that offers hope. No one in America is more willing to pay the cost of solving the problems which go to the very roots of drug abuse than the marijuana smoker. That fact alone should motivate non-smokers to join NORML. Marijuana as Medicine: Marijuana prohibition prevents doctors from treating their patients with the plant's therapeutic powers. Marijuana spells "relief" to those unfortunate fellow citizens in the throes of nausea from cancer chemotherapy. Marijuana has a stabilizing effect on intra-ocular pressure of the eye, which is a primary symptom of glaucoma. Marijuana can be used effectively in conjunction with other medicines to reduce the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures. Marijuana literally has given such relief to victims of multiple sclerosis that they are able to get out of their wheelchairs. Use of marijuana as a folk medicine for headaches, depression, stress and menstrual cramps is documented throughout recorded history. The friends and families of loved ones as well as the patients themselves who are denied the therapeutic aspects of marijuana do not have to smoke marijuana to support NORML. Industrial Hemp: Of course, marijuana's potential as a cash crop should motivate farmers to grow legally a crop that is more valuable than oil, a crop that is not used just for recreational purposes. Virtually every part of the hemp plant, which produces marijuana, has some major use in the marketplace, whether it be cloth, paper, particle board or methanol. Marijuana and the Environment: Hemp is a big industry in China, Korea, Italy, France and the Soviet Union. Hemp offers environmentalists positive solutions for acid rain, the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect, and as an alternative energy source. All of these uses go undeveloped in America because of marijuana prohibition - all more compelling reasons why it is not necessary to smoke marijuana to support NORML. Sign Up a New Member: To accomplish our goals, we need your generous donations, energy, wisdom and moral support. However, we must broaden our membership base. Let this be a call to action for every person to recruit one more supporter in this membership drive - not necessarily a marijuana smoker. NORML has evolved, from a marijuana consumer's lobby into an organization that has a much broader constituency. You should know this; other marijuana smokers who are not members of NORML should know it. But most important of all, the non-smoking public should know: YOU DON'T HAVE TO SMOKE MARIJUANA TO SUPPORT NORML. X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X Another file downloaded from: The NIRVANAnet(tm) Seven & the Temple of the Screaming Electron Taipan Enigma 510/935-5845 Burn This Flag Zardoz 408/363-9766 realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510/527-1662 Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 801/278-2699 The New Dork Sublime Biffnix 415/864-DORK The Shrine Rif Raf 206/794-6674 Planet Mirth Simon Jester 510/786-6560 "Raw Data for Raw Nerves" X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X