"Michigan would be a great state for hemp farming," Murphy says. "Sen. Debbie Stabenow has the Grow It Here, Make It Here initiative. A number of car manufacturers use natural fiber in reinforced plastic for car parts. It would be a great boon for the state, not only for farmers; it has industrial applications."

Murphy points out the changes that have taken place regarding hemp during the last couple of decades: "We have made big strides; industrial hemp is grown again in Canada. That started in 1998. In Germany, they figured out how to run hemp seed through a modified buckwheat machine that makes it incapable of germination. The shelled seed is an important import; it is exempt from the definition of marijuana. The United States is a large market for hemp food. The hemp food and cosmetics market is more than $418 million a year."

Sharing in that is not going to rescue our economy, but every little bit helps when it comes to putting Detroit back on its feet.

The folks at Vote Hemp plan to continue their state level work, supporting legislation and resolutions, encouraging activists to work locally to change the tide. It's not flashy work, but hemp and marijuana seem to be traveling the road to respectability together. Public opinion polls show that the people are about ready to make some changes. That might not be the same for legislators. 

Cannabis of any kind just seems to make them stupid.

Larry Gabriel is a writer, musician and former Metro Times editor. Contact him at letters@metrotimes.com.

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