The associate dean of agriculture, Colin Scanes, was quoted in the Jan. 30 Daily, saying, “It’s very important for Iowa State to be seen as an unbiased source of information. We are there to aid economic development in the state and the creation of well-paying jobs.”

I absolutely agree with him and would like to offer another quote to extend on this view. The commissioner of agriculture for the state of Kentucky announced in 1994 that “it’s time to look at producing hemp on a commercial basis.”

Since this university is largely agricultural and last semester found itself rewarded with a grant most generous, it is my belief that Iowa State should look into doing industrial hemp research.

I know I am not alone in this view, and if more students were educated about the benefits of industrial hemp, I feel they’d agree, too.

If Iowa were able to produce industrial hemp, the economic status of the state would undoubtedly improve. Compared to $135 an acre return on white corn, test hemp crops in Canada have shown grosses of $308 to $410 an acre return.

This should not seem very surprising if one looks into what a valuable crop hemp is. The benefits are far too great to note here, but simply put, the products that can be made from hemp number over 25,000. These high-quality products include paper, textiles, plastics and food. Heck, even hemp cat litter is better than what we pay for now!

And hey, if you want to talk about jobs, think about this: If Iowa were allowed to cultivate industrial hemp, it would also have to establish local processing centers.

Because hemp is so heavy, it is not cost-effective to ship it elsewhere for processing. This could revitalize some agricultural communities.

Simply put, hemp is an invaluable resource to this planet. It is sad, sad, sad that the government (ahem … DEA) has turned its backs to the facts and, ultimately, the potential to improve the quality of our lives.

If you want to learn more about hemp, come to a National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) meeting. Better yet, come to our all ages show at the Boheme Saturday night from 5 to 8:30. The Norman Stagger Band, Sangha and 4-High are going to perform, and it’s only $3!

Jackie Gardner

Sophomore

Pre-professional health programs

Treasurer, ISU NORML