Hemp trousers from Orvis

[Teacher]

According to the US government, there is no legal distinction (yet) between marijuana and industrial hemp, which are just two varieties of the same species. The thing that makes them illegal is the THC, which is what causes the high from smoking it. Even industrial hemp has a little THC, though you cannot get any kind of high from these plants. During the processing into the cloth, all the THC is somehow removed, and THAT is what makes hemp cloth legal in the US. Growing idustrial hemp, however, is not legal because it contains THC. Incidentally, I live in North Dakota, which was the first state in the US to legalize industrial hemp as a crop. However, because the federal government does not make any distinction at this time between the different varieties of cannabis, we still can't grow it here. A shame, really, considering all the benefits of hemp, both agriculturally and industrially. Anyway, thanks for the responses everyone. Perhaps I'll put a pair of hemp trousers on my list of things to get. I can't get them now, though...I've really got the munchies, man.

 

[vista]

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.







What, I'm too late? Good glavin, I'm leaving with the laughs and the funny and such.

 

[VMan]

According to the US government, there is no legal distinction (yet) between marijuana and industrial hemp, which are just two varieties of the same species. The thing that makes them illegal is the THC, which is what causes the high from smoking it. Even industrial hemp has a little THC, though you cannot get any kind of high from these plants. During the processing into the cloth, all the THC is somehow removed, and THAT is what makes hemp cloth legal in the US. Growing idustrial hemp, however, is not legal because it contains THC.

True - the raw materials used in hemp garments contain very little THC. Most all of the THC is contained in the buds and flowers of the plants - though there is a little in the leaves and stems (I can't imagine how much you would have to smoke, and how harsh-tasting the smoke would be, to even feel a 'high'). However, since the process of growing the stalks also produces something smokeable, I guess it has to be illegal.

Oh, and I'm sure 99.99999% of the THC is removed in the processing.

 

[Teacher]

Quote:

(Teacher @ April 21 2005,16:41) According to the US government, there is no legal distinction (yet) between marijuana and industrial hemp, which are just two varieties of the same species. The thing that makes them illegal is the THC, which is what causes the high from smoking it. Even industrial hemp has a little THC, though you cannot get any kind of high from these plants. During the processing into the cloth, all the THC is somehow removed, and THAT is what makes hemp cloth legal in the US. Growing idustrial hemp, however, is not legal because it contains THC.
True - the raw materials used in hemp garments contain very little THC. Most all of the THC is contained in the buds and flowers of the plants - though there is a little in the leaves and stems (I can't imagine how much you would have to smoke, and how harsh-tasting the smoke would be, to even feel a 'high'). However, since the process of growing the stalks also produces something smokeable, I guess it has to be illegal. Oh, and I'm sure 99.99999% of the THC is removed in the processing.
According to research students of mine have done, you actually can't get a buzz from smoking industrial hemp. This version of the plant has an abundance of other chemicals (no idea what they are) that induce nausea and headache when smoked, so a smoker simply couldn't smoke enough to absorb the necessary levels of THC for a high. Also note that "marijuana" plants and industrial hemp plants look virtually nothing alike. Industrial hemp is grown for the fibrous stalk and is around two meters tall at maturity. It is a straight column with small branches and leaves. Marijuana, of course, is a short, bushy plant with relatively little stalk and LOTS of leaf.

It's hard to believe that any DEA agent could be confused by the two.

 

[VMan]

Quote:

(VersaceMan @ April 21 2005,21:01)

Originally Posted by Teacher,April 21 2005,16:41

According to the US government, there is no legal distinction (yet) between marijuana and industrial hemp, which are just two varieties of the same species. The thing that makes them illegal is the THC, which is what causes the high from smoking it. Even industrial hemp has a little THC, though you cannot get any kind of high from these plants. During the processing into the cloth, all the THC is somehow removed, and THAT is what makes hemp cloth legal in the US. Growing idustrial hemp, however, is not legal because it contains THC.
True - the raw materials used in hemp garments contain very little THC. Most all of the THC is contained in the buds and flowers of the plants - though there is a little in the leaves and stems (I can't imagine how much you would have to smoke, and how harsh-tasting the smoke would be, to even feel a 'high'). However, since the process of growing the stalks also produces something smokeable, I guess it has to be illegal. Oh, and I'm sure 99.99999% of the THC is removed in the processing.
According to research students of mine have done, you actually can't get a buzz from smoking industrial hemp. This version of the plant has an abundance of other chemicals (no idea what they are) that induce nausea and headache when smoked, so a smoker simply couldn't smoke enough to absorb the necessary levels of THC for a high. Also note that "marijuana" plants and industrial hemp plants look virtually nothing alike. Industrial hemp is grown for the fibrous stalk and is around two meters tall at maturity. It is a straight column with small branches and leaves. Marijuana, of course, is a short, bushy plant with relatively little stalk and LOTS of leaf.

It's hard to believe that any DEA agent could be confused by the two.
That makes a lot of sense. I totally forgot about the different strains. I doubt that the hemp industry is growing 'designer' marijuana plants such as Northern Lights or Blueberry for hemp production

. What kind of 'research' have your students been doing?

 

[Dakota rube]

Incidentally, I live in North Dakota, which was the first state in the US to legalize industrial hemp as a crop.

Several decades ago I actually travelled to the site of a large patch of hemp which was a remnant of an industrial farming operation. Being, at the time, without supply of natural intoxicants, I harvested several of the plants, took them home and dried them. I will attest that this industrial hemp is almost entirely lacking in THC content. We called it "headache weed". In spite of this knowledge, I often found great cheer in giving directions to the plot of volunteer hemp, and laughed my a** off watching others smoke themselves into migraines. Â

(BTW: The plants persist to this day, less than an hour's drive from me, here in North Dakota.)

 

[Teacher]

What kind of 'research' have your students been doing?

This was usually research involving vitalizing the agriculture industry or on industrial hemp as a textile. I've had students in more than one type of class come across this. Incidentally, the first girl ever to propose this topic by itself had such great ideas, but about the only source of information she used was (no joke) High Times magazine. By the way, she skipped class frequently, wore a lot of drab homespun, and was usually rather sleepy.