Dr Keith Bolton, Vice-President, Northern Rivers Hemp Inc.

2009 and 2010 have been the two most exciting years in the NSW Hemp industry since Cannabis Prohibition with the release of commercial licenses in 2009 by NSW Department of Primary Industries, and the harvesting of the first commercial hemp crops in 2010. Not surprisingly, The Northern Rivers Region has the highest density of hemp licensees and growers in the state, and is set to become a major centre for hemp production and industry during the next five years. The high level of local interest in the hemp industry has prompted the formation of Northern Rivers Hemp Inc., a not-for-profit organization aimed at nurturing the establishment of the Northern Rivers Hemp Industry by maintaining a seed-bank, providing information, networking industry participants, and lobbying for changes in the legislation to allow hemp food production.

The rapid changes in legislation allowing commercial hemp production could not have occurred without the input of highly committed hemp campaigners, politicians, industry pioneers, and the faith of the general public. Further commitment and support is now required by innovators, manufacturers and business leaders to establish hemp-based products, manufacturing processes, and sustainable business. In particular, additional energy is required to change existing legislation which still prohibits the sale of hemp food products for human consumption. As a long-term industry participant, I take off my hat to the leaders who have worked together to legitimize the Australian hemp industry, and I look forward with optimism to the future of the local hemp industry – we have a unique opportunity to establish a profitable, sustainable and local industry! Visit www.northernrivershemp.org for additional information or to register for membership.

Wise Man and Useful Fibre Plant
In the last little fragment of The History of Life on Earth, a certain hominid species evolved victorious from an era of ice ages by growing new brain pathways, eradicating its milder mannered cousins, and acquiring a taste for coastal property. This species called itself Homo sapiens, which means Wise Man. While Wise Man was busily playing with his enhanced frontal lobe and inspecting post-glacial real estate, a small herbaceous plant was quietly evolving in the hinterlands of Asia. When Wise Man met this plant, he liked its strong fibres which made good ropes and yarn; and it seeds which yielded delicious and nutritious food. Its resinous foliage became an essential ingredient in Wise Man’s pharmacopoeia and certain varieties were known to tickle Wise Man’s frontal lobes in a fun kind of way. Wise Man called this plant Cannabis sativa which means Useful Fibre Plant. These two species brokered a mutually beneficial agreement. Useful Fibre Plant agreed to provide Wise Man with bountiful yields of fibre, food, pharmaceuticals and fun. In return, Wise Man was to cultivate, adapt and disseminate Useful Fibre Plant throughout all continents on Earth. This agreement worked brilliantly, and for thousands of years both species shared the benefits of the other. Wise Man forged into new habitat using the strong fibre, nutritious food and potent medicines from Useful Fibre Plant; in return Wise Man brought Useful Fibre Plant everywhere he went.

Then something went terribly wrong. Perhaps the relationship started to go sour when Wise Man began to use Useful Fibre Plant’s strong fibres for the sails and rigging of his warships. Indeed, wars were even fought over the control of Useful Fibre Plant’s virtues, a point that did not sit well with peace loving Useful Fibre Plant. Whatever the case, Wise Man become addicted to playing with His frontal lobe, which overheated, and he sought to own and control everything – even Mother Earth! Affected by the stress of this new ownership and his insatiable lobe, Wise Man started to flaunt the natural laws which hold the very threads of Life together. Simple sorts of laws like don’t poke holes in the ozone layer, don’t build nuclear power plants, especially on fault lines, and certainly don’t put the Carboniferous’s carbon back into the atmosphere. In this altered state, one of the strangest things that Wise Man did was to turn against his old ally Useful Fibre Plant.

On April 14, 1937, Wise Man concocted a document called the marihuana tax bill and declared a war of total herbicide against Useful Fibre Plant. Propaganda was distributed, friends of Useful Fibre Plant were persecuted and jailed, and uncountable billions of dollars have been spent on this war during the last three quarters of a century. What could have happened to have caused this complete turnaround? Let’s look at what was going on 75 years ago.
Fuelled by the power of the Industrial Age, the petrochemical industry had developed nylon and other synthetic fibres. However the hemp industry had also undergone mechanisation, representing the major competition. At the same time, the US Drug Enforcement Agency was experiencing a control vacuum after alcohol prohibition was proven to be unviable by the likes of Al Capone, and It desperately needed a new drug to control. The 1930s was also a time of deep paranoia, and communists, negros, jazz musicians and other undesirables were identified as “marihuana users”. Crusaders promoted harsh punishment for those who didn’t fall within their moral guidelines while women and black people had no vote and little direct influence. It was very convenient for certain power brokers to make hemp a scapegoat in order to expedite their plans.

They almost won. Petrochemical fibres became mainstream, fast food replaced nutritious food, and modern pharmaceutical giants claimed ownership over traditional medicines. A burgeoning black market sprang from the ashes of a previously legitimate industry while the morally righteous gloated at the suffering of the wicked. More insidiously, global power brokers funded their skull-and-dagger operations and dirty wars by controlling supply and demand of the very drugs they lobbied so hard to prohibit. During the last 75 years, humans have inflicted more environmental and social damage than ever before in our history. Our collective greed and consumption threatens the Earth’s fundamental life support mechanisms – the atmosphere, oceans, forests, groundwater and soil. Millions of human lives have been trashed through wars, incarceration, and environmental pillaging. All other species are affected.

Challenging Cannabis prohibition challenges the very paradigms that perpetuate the “20th Century disease”, which incites greed with no responsibility. We are critically in need of Leaders who have the courage, integrity and true wisdom to make it their primary goal to protect the liberties and prosperity of the people and the environment, and to never make laws that cause harm. The MardiGrass and other similar events of peaceful mass civil disobedience are essential reminders that when injustice becomes law, action becomes duty. Although prohibition laws remain in the hands of the morally offended, there is increasing recognition that prohibition aggravates rather than minimises the harm caused by all drugs. It is time to call a truce and broker peace with this remarkable and embattled plant so Homo sapiens can live up to our namesake, and to again appreciate the fibre, food, pharmaceutical and fun virtues of our old friend Cannabis sativa.

The many uses of Cannabis

There is no plant which can produce fibre, food, fuel, pharmaceuticals and fun in such bountiful quantities as our old ally Cannabis sativa. Broadly speaking, there are two types of Cannabis – industrial hemp, which is low-THC (generally less than 0.5%); and marijuana which is high-THC (generally higher than 5%).

Hemp produces the world’s longest and strongest bast fibre, which comes from the bark of the stem. The pithy interior of the stem produces hurd fibre, and it is mostly composed of cellulose. Hemp fibre is used to create a multitude of high-quality products including fabrics, paper, cordage, insulation, hemp masonry and particle board. Hemp seed produces one of the highest quality foods available. It is high in essential fatty acids and easily-digestible proteins, and it contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Hemp seed is legally consumed in most countries – a notable exception being Australia – and it is used to produce many types of foods including bread, pasta, hemp milk & butter, and protein powder. Hemp seed oil is consumed as a rich source of essential fatty acids, and it is extensively used in the cosmetic and health-care industries. Hemp is one of the fastest growing plants, producing high yields in short crop cycles. It can easily be converted to biofuels and used for combustion power sources, so hemp is therefore a viable renewable energy source for a world which is rapidly running out of fossil fuels. Because of its ability to rapidly convert atmospheric carbon into biomass, hemp is also a promising candidate for the establishing carbon economy.

Marijuana produces a pharmacopoeia of cannabinoids, the most well-known being ?-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, abbreviated to THC. High-THC cannabis has been used as a medicine for millennia and is being “rediscovered” as a treatment for a wide range of conditions including glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, nausea and pain. And of course, humans have been using cannabis for fun, ceremonial and celebration purposes for a very long time.
Although MardiGrass 2012 has some very important political purposes, it is also a time to celebrate the long-term positive relationship that humans and cannabis have shared for a very long time.

Why is prohibition still happening?

On Wednesday April 14, 1937, the United States Government signed a document called the Marihuana Tax Bill, which formally initiated a “war” against all forms of Cannabis sativa – both industrial hemp and marijuana. This is despite the spectacular failure of alcohol prohibition the decade before, allowing the likes of Al Capone to capitalise upon the corruption of a previously legitimate market. Alcohol prohibition lasted for less than a decade, yet cannabis prohibition has been stoically maintained by world leaders for three quarters of a century – the most part of which included prohibition against even using hemp for its industrial uses. The stated rationale behind prohibition is the responsibility of our governments to prevent people from causing harm to themselves and others, with overtones of the morally righteous punishing the wicked for their sins.

The reality is that prohibition was never enacted to protect people and prevent the harmful effects of cannabis use. The 1930’s were a time of intense paranoia, an era sandwiched between two world wars. Fear of Communism was rampant, and marijuana smoking “undesirables” were targeted as potential Communists. Placing restrictions on their drug of choice enabled a high level of control over this targeted group.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency, which had become the largest Federal Government department during the era of alcohol prohibition, was desperate for a drug to control in order to maintain its legitimacy. It was also a time when the likes of DuPont had created a range of petrochemical-based “wonder-fibres” such as nylon. Hemp was the main competitor, and the hemp industry was undergoing full-scale mechanisation, riding on the wave of the industrial revolution. It is of little surprise that Harry Anslinger, Head of the USDEA, was married into the DuPont Empire.

Pharmaceutical giants supported prohibition, and their factory-concocted medicines replaced naturally-derived medicines such as cannabis, opium and cocaine.

Let’s have an unblinkered look at the repercussions of prohibition. Cannabis use has dramatically increased since it was prohibited to the point at which around 3 million Australians are now regular cannabis users. This outcome is completely contrary to the stated aims of prohibition. Huge amounts of resources are poured into enshrining prohibition – policing, maintaining legal structures and building and running prisons – costing billions of dollars per year. At best this can only be considered to be an irresponsible and reckless waste considering the ineffectiveness of these resources to control cannabis use; at worst, it suggests corruption at the highest levels, and agendas which are not in the interest of human well-being. Prohibition inevitably creates a black market which has little or no regulation. This means that no legitimate funds – which can be used to reduce harm caused by drugs – can be derived from the multi-billion dollar cannabis market.

More insidiously, the huge profit potential created by the black market allows individuals and organisations to fund activities which can be immensely harmful – it is well known that organisations such as the CIA have funded behind-the-scene wars and power plays using funds from drug-producing industries that they control. The human cost of prohibition is exceptional. Millions of people worldwide have been incarcerated – sometimes indefinitely – for their use of cannabis and other drugs or for playing a role in the black market which is promulgated by prohibition laws. There is little support or encouragement for people seeking assistance with drug-related issue and all illicit drug users face the potential of serious legal, emotional and financial stress even if their choice to use drugs causes no harm.

Cannabis prohibition also prevented the use of hemp for even industrial purposes to produce food, fibre and fuel despite the fact that industrial hemp does not produce psychoactive concentrations of THC.

It is blindingly obvious that drug prohibition exacerbates rather than mitigates harm caused by drugs, and that prohibition laws increase rather than reduce drug production and consumption. Yet our leaders continue to perpetuate prohibition at all costs despite the fact that the majority of Australians do not support cannabis prohibition. This can only cause rational people to question whether our leaders are indeed acting in our interests.
The unsavoury reality is that the human propensity towards self-interest and corruption is all too predictable, and the lucrative potential of the drug-fuelled black market is too tempting. Wealthy individuals and organisations have immense vested interests in maintaining prohibition to profit from the market and to maintain control over populations. The true rationale and motivations behind prohibition can only be considered as psychopathic, devoid of any compassion for human suffering, and focused only on self-gain. This is why it is essential to continue to challenge the paradigms of prohibition, and to strongly question the motivation of leaders who perpetuate prohibition laws.

It is the fundamental right of people to do what they want until they cause harm to others or the environment. True Leaders respect the rights of humans and certainly don’t make laws that cause people harm. True Leaders will allow people to use hemp for all its beneficial purposes, and to use cannabis medically, recreationally and ceremonially based on properly considered age, driving, workplace and public area restrictions. True Leaders, we need you to roar!
Dr Alex Wodak – a True Leader

Some potent leaders are now standing up to challenge the rationale and effectiveness of prohibition
laws. Dr Alex Wodak, Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital since
1982, is one such leader who has challenged prohibition paradigms for a long period of time. He
was instrumental in establishing the first injection gallery which prevented numerous overdoses
and AIDS cases, he has actively campaigned against cannabis prohibition, and is a respected leader
in the international harm-minimisation movement. Dr Wodak recently retired, prompting a flood
of accolades from dozens of prominent people including The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG (Former
Judge, Federal Court of Australia), Nicholas Cowdery AM QC BA LLB Hon LLD, (Former NSW Director
of Public Prosecutions (1994-2011)), and Michael Moore (CEO, Public Health Association of Australia
Former MLA, ACT 1989-2001, Former Minister Health and Community Care (1998-2001).

Hemp in Northern NSW
Northern NSW is an epicentre of the establishing NSW and Australian hemp industry.