UHH!

Farmers in the Midwest are probably looking for the application forms for Cheech and Chong's organization, United Heads for Hemp!  As federal restrictions on the crop have eased, there is high demand for hemp seed.  Growers are looking to capitalize on the fairly easy to grow plant, which can reach 20 feet or more in height and is used for everything from rope making to clothing.  Hemp is a relative of the marijuana plant, but without the THC which gives users the high.  I'm not sure why hemp growing was banned in the US, but it probably has to do with reefer madness.  I guess the plants look similar enough that marijuana growers could mix their plants in with the hemp crop.  It sounds like a stretch, but with the war on drugs, sanity is in short supply.  As attitudes change and more and more states legalize marijuana, there will be more pressure from farmers to be allowed to grow and process hemp.