This was written in response to a question about Cannabis on Facebook

Rajeev asked "is cannabis the same plant as marijuana?"

Neither Sunil nor Sam answered your question Rajeev. The short answer is, yes, but there's much more to it than that. Confusing as the nomenclature is, a longer answer is needed to understand it fully.

Cannabis is the genus name (properly capitalized according to the CBE Manual) for an ancient plant of many names, including 'marijuana'. For this discussion a distinction is being made between two types of Cannabis, low- and high-THC varieties of Cannabis.

In the US, high-THC Cannabis is most often referred to as 'marijuana,' "pot," etc. THC has psychoactive effect and is used therapeutically, spiritually and recreationally.

Low-THC Cannabis is often referred to as "industrial hemp" or just "hemp." For the sake of accuracy, historically high-THC 'marijuana' was sometimes also called "hemp."

My concern with Prop 19 is that after seventy-three years of being wrong, misleading and abusing people about the true value of this "herb bearing seed", we are so eager to convey control over this sacred herb to the same authority that's been putting people in jail for recognizing value in it and defying an anti-Constitutional law.

Now that the corporate chemically controlled government is being overruled by the growing awareness of the American people, it's time to exercise "essential civilian demand" if we are to avoid extinction. Wake up!! The bees, bats and amphibians are dying!

A total lifting of the ban on so-called "industrial hemp" (which also has enormous therapeutic benefits) is called for without tax or regulation. Cannabis is both unique and essential, a strategic resource that's critical to national and global security.

Sunil, you and Chris Conrad know so much about Cannabis and yet you still don't understand its critical importance in avoiding the synergistic collapse that's starting and being suffered all over the world. 'Time' is the limiting factor in the equation of survival. If we don't start an intensive planting of industrial hemp by next spring, then we could all be sitting around happily rolling "legal" joints when shithitsthefan.

WHY DO WE NEED GOVERNMENT PERMISSION TO GROW ANY "HERB BEARING SEED?" Is the Constitution that dead in people's minds that even the First Amendment doesn't count? You know that Reverend Roger Christie is being held in federal prison, right? He's been there since July 16th, and been refused bail for a first-time, non-violent offense.

Are these the people you want to continue giving jurisdiction to rather than saying "Our freedom to farm "every herb bearing seed" is the first test of religious freedom." Done. Legal.

What you and Chris are supporting could incrementally seal our fate, effecting the predictable extinction of our species, by employing half-measures without even trying to implement the strongest most direct route to freedom: "essential civilian demand" for a "strategic" resource.

If our fathers and grandfathers did this, we'd all be spreckin Doytch & Japanese by now.

Sunil and Chris, did you notice the minimal reference made to "industrial hemp" in Prop 19 ? Does that oversight not concern you?

Because hemp has been banned using marijuana as an excuse, then wouldn't it be normal to delineate and end to the ban on hemp agriculture in the Proposition that quasi-legalizes marijuana agriculture?