What Hemp's Opponents Say
Nonsensical Arguments
Law enforcement agencies such as the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) complain that hemp farming will significantly compromise helicopter surveillance efforts to eradicate marijuana cultivation. "As far as our laws are concerned, hemp, marijuana, whatever you want to call it, it's the same plant. An illegal drug under a different name is still an illegal drug." Tim McCormick, head of the Minneapolis DEA office.
In the Clinton Administration, U.S. Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, took an aggressive approach to hemp. Speaking before a June 16, 1999, hearing of the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources: "Growing numbers of farmers, rightfully or wrongfully, believe that hemp may offer a new crop that can help the farm economy. However, there are those who want to use de-regulation of hemp to erode America's disapproval of drugs. Still others with criminal intent see hemp as providing a new way to conceal the production of marijuana plants.
"If we allow farmers to test the viability of this crop in the marketplace, we must not do so in a manner that allows the normalization of marijuana. Products that market their hemp content with marijuana leaves do so only to sell their product's relationship to marijuana. ...The hype built around these marijuana-related products serves only to glamorize the counter-culture appeal of a drug that has serious consequences for our young people who use it.
"We cannot allow our policies toward hemp to directly or indirectly increase the use of marijuana among our young."
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