Editorial #195 Hemp Forum
A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. But the smell of marijuana does not smell like a rose with any conation of being as sweet or innocent. Hemp is not the marijuana we associate with the drug culture of the sixties.
Hemp is an agricultural product like corn, wheat, oats or soy. It was used in construction, lubrication, shipping, rope, string, cloth, clothing and containers since biblical times. Its development could become a leading cash crop for the Midwest agriculture. Before the advent of plastics, hemp was an agricultural product vital in winning the Second World War. Nebraska was one of the leading suppliers of industrial hemp in the United States.
Today we are in another war. It is the battle to save the planet, not from global warming, but from being buried in plastics. Plastics replaced hemp after WWII. The derivatives from hemp can again replace about 90% of the applications now filled by disposal plastic.
The Nebraska can be a large component in solving the “global plastics problem”. Five percent of all the world’s oil production is converted into plastic that is not biodegradable. The world uses 500,000 barrels of oil per day to make plastic, which never goes away, unless burned. The market value of that much oil is $10 Billion/year, not counting any environmental cost to the planet. Hemp products are durable, recyclable, sustainable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly. It is ideally suited for growing in Nebraska’s climate as well as meeting all the intellectual and financial ingredients, Nebraska can provide, for developing a sustainable economic environment.
Plastics will bury the planet if not addressed with the cost of not finding a replacement for plastics beyond calculation. Hemp could be like the oil boom of the 20th century that made states like Texas, Alaska, North Dakota or California rich.
Industrial hemp would involve every sector of Nebraska’s economy. Our schools and universities, medical centers, manufacturing, construction, financial markets, agriculture machinery and supplies, agriculture land usage and the quality of life would all benefit. Nebraska may, honestly, not be for everyone, but it has the best combination of advantages of any state in the union, if we commit to hemp.
The Nebraska Hemp Forum is sponsoring a free seminar on July 24th in Milford, NE. It will show the “diamond in the rough” opportunities for this new cash crop in Nebraska’s economy. Go to www.Midwesthempforum.com to get your free admission ticket. I am certain you will be surprised at what you will learn.
This is Keith Kube wishing you the best in making the world a better place.
Keith has a regular commentary on WJAG 780 radio at 7:40 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Check his website www.keithkube.com for past editorials.
