Re: Good morning, Lapis. Thank you...

Yes!

Bureaucracy is very shy of hemp because they think it might be m.j., which it definately isn't! One would have to eat something like a truckful of it, to get a buzz.

Also, I've heard that growers have to build big fences around their crops, which are hardly a deterent to those who think they'd like to smoke some, or sell it.

People have forgotten their history. Growing hemp was once mandatory for all settlers. Its uses were so varied and important to everyone, even as nutritious food, and clothing. (Far more important than baling wire and duct tape!)

There are people in Canada licenced to grow hemp. Don't know how they are doing.

Flax for linen is another crop and industry I'd like to see re-developed. Have you ever worn linen? It's wonderful! Silky! I once had a tablecloth of it. It was very low-priced because the manufacturer had made it in grey, with a few white lines.

Grey didn't sell well, I guess, but that was a superior tablecloth. It washed like a handkerchief, wouldn't take stains, and didn't need ironing if you didn't feel like it. The colour was perfect for any use.

(I hate to see good ideas not sell well!)

Another great straw for building is rice, I am told. It is fire-retardant. Although people don't realize that all properly packed straw bales are fire-retardant because there is no air inside the bale. Besides, the walls are parged with concrete! Cozy in all weathers. And cheap!

You know any great architects who want to make a fortune with straw-bale designs? All they have to do is organize suppliers and builders, which they do anyway.

Basic straw-bale houses were built for the poor in Central America...$900 each.

I know, I know...some builders/suppliers will charge in the millions. But, what if every family had their own building team?

Just get it past the building codes...

There's a town in Saskatchewan where they're re-creating all their civic buildings in straw and huge beams. Beautiful, and super-strong.

Plants are the answer to all our problems!

Now I'm sleepy again.

Z-z-z...