Monday, January 14, 2013

Interview with Greta Gaines

This is an interview with Greta Gaines, a musician and hemp activist, and supporter of the petition to President Obama.



Q: Why do you think that hemp is legal in so many other countries?

Hemp is legal in all industrial countries of the world because it is the finest plant known to man. no other plant has has many uses, as many essential fatty acids..no other plant has made itself more useful to mankind from the dawn of mankind then hemp. the big question is: why isn't it legal here?


Q: How do you feel as an American seeing these other countries make moneyfrom the plant that was used for the first American flag, for the US Navy, for medicine,for textiles and many other products in the US?


I think it's least patriotic thing in the world to turn one's back on hemp...the dog of the plant world..the plant that was used as currency here for hemp's sake! i call it the greatest coup of a natural resource in US history when the marijuana tax stamp was passed in 1937. the issue was never about making marijuana as a drug illegal it was about the greatest industrialists in the country wanting hemp out of the picture competing with standard oil, the Hearst paper mills, Dupont's new synthetic fibers and the alcohol and cotten cartels. it was heist and the american public got screwed and is to this day. an out and out travesty in my opinion.


Q: Should states cultivate hemp once it is legal and disregard the federal laws thatprohibit cultivation?


yes!!

Q: You are a woman. An American woman. Most of the American politicians who are keepinghemp illegal, and keeping America from profiting from hemp - which is much a part of its heritage -are men. How do you feel about that - do you respect them as men, as the protectors and defenders of yourcountry or might you agree that they do not deserve respect?


On a fundamental level I do feel that hating on hemp does hand in hand with hating on mother nature. we humans and males i particular have a history of hating on plant based medicines. why use a beautiful plant given to us by the great mother nature when you can pull out a chemical compound from that plant, patent it and make lots of $$ on it while keeping the plant illegal. so yes as a woman i am resentful of any affront to mother nature's bounty.


Q: What other women in the US are doing anything about hemp - what do you think of Cynthia McKinney, MinaHegaard or any others in the fray?


Women and men are uniting on this issue. i get really inspired by Willie Nelson's wife Annie who is helping to put together a clothing line with Willie, Ziggy Marley and Woody Harrelson. Mina's line of products are also soo inspiring!


Q: Are there any US politicians who you think are really making a difference?


I think Jared Polis and Barney Frank both are in the fray and really get this issue.


Q: Would you care to comment on the irony of the fact that guns, military grade semi-automatic guns - are completely legal, yet hemp is not?


what can you say? guns and money vs hemp and health? our society is still very much skewed toward violence and dis-ease instead of peace and harmony.


Q: What do you think about the press - or rather lack of press - on hemp?


Those of us who are into this issues are obsessed and outraged that there hasn't been a national sit in demanding that hemp become re-legalized. i feel the tide is turing and that in the next 5 years it will be re-legalized, what a wonderful legacy Obama would leave if he made it legal on his way out of office. i guess talking about hemp is not as sexy as talking about medical marijuana but it is really just as important to the health of the nation, we are just getting left in the dust by Canada and the rest of the world. Everyone i turn onto hemp becomes so sure of it's benefits that they add it to their daily diets and feel immeasurably better and different for it.


Q: Would you support an initiative to have hemp activists contact their local journalists and press for features on hemp, or should we just sit back and wait for them to discover the issue?


Absolutely!!


Q: Would you also support an intiative for hemp activists to contact their Congressman (or woman) and Senator and lobby for hemp, making a note of those who refuse to do so and putting that record up on the internet for other Americans to see?


 Of course!


Q: Are politicians in America guilty at to any extent of betraying their country by not supporting this issue - especially when they seemto have so much time to support frivolous issues?


One of our tee shirt designs at my online store Cannibuzz.com is called the patriotic pothead tee. they sport quotes on the back from our founding father's as to the wonders of hemp. politicians today are guilty of pure laziness in not educating themselves as to the wonders of hemp. our Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper wrote me back a letter when i wrote to him about re-legalizing hemp with the most ridiculous and uninformed response. his form letter said essentially that he can't support growing industrial hemp because that would make it too difficult for law enforcement to bust outdoor illegal marijauna grows. his letter showed a stupefying level of ignorance about the plant and the huge differences between industrial hemp and medical cannabis.Q: Let's say the press ignores, or as it did in the past, maligns the issue - what would you think of picketing outsidemajor press offices in cities like New York to shine a spotlight on this issue?I would be willing to picket. i think the time has come!


8 comments:

GOPbuster said...

She ROCKS! And the cool thing is she is intelligent, she obviously took the time to write to her Senator - who obviously not intelligent...
If everyone in the hemp world took the time to write that letter we would really move forward.
And of course, sign the petition to POTUS -
www.minawear.com/about-us/

Mark Ski said...

That is great - too bad the senator was too dumb to take it all in...she tried.
All eyes are on Ron Paul's replacement in Texas, Mina will be writing to him soon to see where he stands.
Greta and Mina are great for the hemp world, we need more women (and men) like them!

MinaBird said...

Great interview! Well said Greta!

Unknown said...

It was a very memorable interview -what struck me was she had written her Senator - and kept the response for the record. That is the one thing I really urge people to do, most do not want to do it, to be brutally honest they are lazy, and unrealistic to boot - if anyone thinks hemp can become legal they have to take on board the fact that there needs be awareness and lobbying. It does not just happen. There are 100 senators in the US, and over 500 Congressmen. That means we need to be reaching some 600+ leglistators. I urge each person to write to theirs, as Greta has done. If no response, or a dumb response arrives, record that, blog about it. Then get others to follow up.
Mina is writing to her new rep, after writing to Ron Paul and sendning him a copy of "Hemp for Victory: History and Qualities of the World's Most Useful Plant." She will also write to the new rep since Dr Paul is retiring. Greta and Mina set an example, along with Cynthia McKinney, who, of course, was a Congresswoman - and is still active in politics campaigning about issues that many people ignore since they do not make money.
I'd like to hear more from people like Greta who have written their politicians, I would be happy to publish all letters to and fro on this site.
And of course, sign the petition at www.minawear.com/about-us/

Unknown said...

Thanks to Greta for writing her Senator, if this is going to be a battle we win we need more like her.

Jokerman said...

Lots of respect for Greta!

Carlos said...

If everyone in the hemp movement was writing letters like Greta and getting their names on petitions, this would all rock!

Phil Telic said...

It's good to see an entertainer take the time for an issue like this that would create JOBS in the US. So many just wanna make $ and forget about the issues.