Misconception: It is easy to hide marijuana plants in hemp fields.

Reality:There are several reasons why no marijuana cultivator would risk putting their plants in a hemp field. First of all, cross pollination between hemp and marijuana would significantly reduce the potency of the marijuana plants and ruin the strains that marijuana farmers have bred for generations. Second, Hemp is grown for fiber and planted in narrow row spacing. Branching is discouraged, and the plants are not allowed to flower. Marijuana plants on the other hand are spaced wide to encourage branching, and the flower is the harvested product. Third, Hemp plants are harvested earlier than marijuana plants. The marijuana plants would not be even close to ready by the time the hemp field was harvested. Fourth, Hemp fields are under high regulation by the United Nations. A farmer growing hemp must tell the local authorities where their hemp field is so the authorities can randomly search and surveil it. Hemp farmers also have to test each individual hemp plant to be sure they meet the low THC regulations of the UN. Hemp farmers test each individual plant a number of times during it's growth, and also following harvest. So, if someone were to try and grow marijuana in a hemp field, there strain would be ruined, their plant might not flower, they would have a better chance of being caught, and the hemp field would be harvested much too early. If they did harvest their premature plants, the smoke would not get them high. A much better place to hide marijuana plants would be a cornfield. Corn plants require similar nutrients to marijuana. They also grow tall enough to hide plants, are not kept under surveillance, and are harvested later than marijuana.Cornfieldss also do not have the risk of destroying the marijuana strain through cross pollination.

Misconception: Hemp is being used as a backdoor to legalize marijuana.

Reality: Although many people who support legalizing hemp also support legalizing marijuana, most people today see hemp as the agricultural and industrial crop that it is. This misunderstanding is supported by the fact that in this country hemp is under the jurisdiction of the drug enforcement agency, even though hemp is not a drug. In other countries hemp jurisdiction is more appropriately held by health and agricultural agencies. Many farmers and agricultural industries in the United States and all over the world support the legalization of hemp.

Misconception: Hemp oil is a source of THC.

Reality: There is only a minuscule amount of THC in hemp plants, and not a bit of it is contained in the seed. A small amount of THC is contained in the glands of the plant. It is such a tiny amount that it could not get a person high no matter how much they smoked, and UN regulations keep the amount of THC so low it can only be detected through high sensitivity testing. Making hemp illegal because of the harmless amount of THC in the plant would be like outlawing poppy seed muffins because of the tiny amount of opiates traceable through high sensitivity testing.

Misconception:Legalizing hemp would send the wrong message to children.

Reality: The United States is already sending the wrong message to the children by treating a harmless, extremely useful, and renewable industrial crop like a dangerous drug. When children learn that the government has been lying to them about hemp, the will assume that they are also lied to about truly dangerous substances. By not making the distinction between a safe and useful plant and a harmful drug, the message we are sending to the children is that dangerous drugs like heroin, tobacco, and alcohol are no more dangerous then a hemp plant. By condemning hemp, drug enforcement agencies are undermining their credibility.

Misconception:Hemp should be illegal because it is not economically viable.

Reality:The only people that would use this argument would have to be incredibly ignorant about the facts of hemp. Hemp is one of the most useful and renewable resources on the planet, and has been used all over the world for many, many centuries to make tools, clothing, food, building material, fuel, and paper. Hemp also can be planted in soil that most plants would not survive in, and actually improve the soil for the next crop. Hemp grows quickly and reproduces easily, so it is almost infinitely renewable, unlike trees and oil. People are becoming more environmentally aware, and many realize that hemp alone can save the forests that are rapidly being clear-cut. Hemp can also improve air quality and war over oil because it is a safer and more renewable fuel than oil. Today the hemp market is growing rapidly. Hemp clothing and jewelry are becoming increasingly popular in American and European pop culture, and hemp cultivation has become desirable for many American farmers. Hemp is an essential resource if we plan to protect wildlife reserves from clear cutting and oil refineries. The growth of hemp was actually a patriotic war effort during World War Two because of the fact that it is so profitable. Hemp was used to treat sick and injured soldiers, to make canvas tents for troops, and many other uses.