Maybe it would help if hemp were called something else since many people immediately equate it with marijuana use and illegal drugs. People are pretty slow to change their minds on things like that even when their premise is wrong!

If the economy gets bad enough, maybe people will figure it out…

And yes, hemp is an industrial plant, not a drug. Marijuana, cannabis as I've learned actually, is the one that has certain effects. Neither, though, should be banned by the federal government under the constitution, of course.

But hemp might be an easier sell to those on the right – because it could be a great way to expand jobs and production right here at home – America is fertile ground for a MASSIVE hemp industry.

FWIW, I suspect most people equate hemp with marijuana and assume hemp advocates are closet dope heads trying to get MJ legalized through some back door. If I understood this article correctly, however, hemp is NOT the same as marijuana in the psychotropic area. If that's true, I can't see any reason to ban it under 'drug' laws. Am I missing something?

I was also a little confused whether it's OK to grow it or not in general since it seems to say one can do so in 5 states if you get a license. If I've got that correctly, it's very odd to me that zero licenses have been issued. Also, if 5 states have allowed this, what's to stop all the states from doing so?

Finally, the fact that Ron Paul introduced a bill on this issue tells me it's likely just another area where the feds need to butt out and let the states act as they see fit. Generally, if Ron Paul supports something, I'll agree with him after I look into it.

Anyway, thanks for a very interesting article!