(from DISCORDIA! The Print Edition coming soon to a Brewery near you)

The United States Constitution is printed on hemp.

In France, hemp is used in building construction. It can also be used for paper pulp and clothing. Hemp, because of its very long fibers, rapid growth, and the versatile oil from seed, can be manufactured into many products. It can competitively—both economically and technically—replace industrial feedstocks which are inherently polluting and unsustainable. Hemp fiber can be used to make bio-based plastics and construction materials. The long fibers of hemp can be used in making composite plastics which, while not as strong as fiberglass, is strong enough for many applications. There are also worker safety benefits, it’s recyclable and is priced lower than glass. The mass production of hemp would save forests, reduce pollution, and bring substantial financial aid to the dying American farming industry.

However…

The U.S. Government classifies marijuana as a serious narcotic, but there is no scientific evidence to prove marijuana is physically addictive.

In 1995, based on thirty years of scientific research editors of the British medical journal Lancet concluded that “the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health.”

Marijuana has been shown to be effective in reducing the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy, stimulating appetite in AIDS patients, and reducing intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma. There is also appreciable evidence that marijuana reduces muscle spasticity in patients with neurological disorders. A synthetic capsule is available by prescription, but it is not as effective as smoked marijuana for many patients. Pure THC may also produce more unpleasant psychoactive side effects than smoked marijuana.

None of the medical tests currently used to detect brain damage in humans have found harm from marijuana, even from long term high-dose use. An early study reported brain damage in rhesus monkeys after six months exposure to high concentrations of marijuana smoke. In a recent, more carefully conducted study, researchers found no evidence of brain abnormality in monkeys that were forced to inhale the equivalent of four to five marijuana cigarettes every day for a year.

Marijuana produces immediate, temporary changes in thoughts, perceptions, and information processing. The cognitive process most clearly affected by marijuana is short-term memory. In laboratory studies, subjects under the influence of marijuana have no trouble remembering things they learned previously. However, they display diminished capacity to learn and recall new information. This diminishment only lasts for the duration of the intoxication.

Meanwhile…

Liquor is the number one cause of violence and death among young males in America.   Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 440,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year. More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.

In other words…

Marijuana is non-addictive, is related to zero percent of America’s crimes (other than people arrested for owning it), and can be used for medical and industrial purposes.

Liquor and Tobacco are harder to kick than heroin, are responsible for car accidents, crime, brain damage, cancer, and violence.

Conclusion

Why don’t They want you smoking pot while They shove beer and cigarettes down your throat?

(It should be noted that this Author does not drink or do drugs, but has a serious problem with hypocrisy.)