Negative - Hemp Legalization

Negative: Hemp Page 1 of 19
Zack Voell HSD RC
Negative: Hemp (Cannabis Sativa)

Zack Voell
Zack Voell HSD RC
Topicality
1. USFG Policy vs. State Policy
- Interpretation
Affirmative plan must reform policy that is in the domain of the Federal Government.
- Standards
i. Framers Intent - The framers of the resolution put “The Federal

Government[‘s] …Environmental Policy” into the resolution because it wanted
Federal policy to be debated, not state and local policy. The affirmative is only
topical when the bring a policy into a round that is a Federal Policy not a state
policy.
- Violation
Affirmative mandates the legalization of Hemp, which is a state policy…
…according to the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007

“Text of H.R. 1009 [110th]: Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007”, <accessed December 23, 2009>, Govtrack.us,
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1009, (ZV)
“SEC. 3. INDUSTRIAL HEMP DETERMINATION TO BE MADE BY STATES. Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act (21
U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (i) Industrial Hemp Determination To
Be Made by States- In any criminal action, civil action, or administrative proceeding, a State regulating the
growing and processing of industrial hemp under State law shall have exclusive authority
to determine whether any such plant meets the concentration limitation set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (16) of section 102
and such determination shall be conclusive and binding.'.”
- Impact
ii. Educational Value- When the affirmative brings their interpretation into a round, the
educational potential of this round is completely removed, because we they have brought
up a policy that was never supposed to be in a round in the first place.
iii. Ground- When the affirmative starts debating about state policy, the negative
argumentation ground is completely violated, we cannot adequately prepare for untopical
cases like these, and really, its unfair to every team at this tournOur interpretation is key
to core negative ground—the resolution calls for us to debate federal policy not state and
local policy.
Zack Voell HSD RC
Solvency
1. Solvency Barriers [1/4]
Biodesiel Magazine 07 – there are too many factors working against the use of hemp
as a biodiesel feedstock
Holly Jessen, [Internet Professional], “Hemp Biodiesel: When the Smoke Clears”, Biodesiel Magizene, February 2007,
http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1434&q=&page=1, (ZV)
“Arthur Hanks, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, agrees that there are too many factors
working against the use of hemp as a biodiesel feedstock. “People talk about it, but there’s not really
anything happening with that right now,” he tells Biodiesel Magazine. Price is the big issue, Hanks says, echoing Bobbee’s
sentiments. The human nutritional market pays well for hemp seed. Currently, conventionally grown hemp seed brings in about 45
Then
Canadian cents a pound, he says. Certified organic seed garners 85 Canadian cents a pound, or nearly CAN$40 a bushel.
there’s the hurdle of limited supply. Although healthy demand has increased hemp production numbers in Canada,
there’s just not enough quantity to go around. In 2005, 24,000 acres of hemp were planted in Canada, more
than doubling to 50,000 acres in 2006. “That particularly, is very much an issue of economies of scale,” Hanks says. “We are still very
there’s the relatively low oil productivity of hemp. Hemp seed does
much a specialty crop.” Finally,
have a relatively high oil content of about 33 percent, compared with canola at about 40
percent. However, it has a low seed per-acre yield. Typically, an acre of hemp yields about 700 pounds of
seed, although some farmers have enjoyed production numbers as high as 1,200 pounds an acre in good years, Hanks says. Canola
growers, on the other hand, can reap a crop of anywhere from 1,500 to 2,600 pounds an acre.”
USDA 00 – Hemp monitoring, licensing, or regulating costs are superly, massively,

enormous
“Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and Market Potential”, USDA, January 2000,
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ages001E/ages001E.pdf, (ZV)
“None of the cost estimates include costs for monitoring, licensing, or regulating hemp
production. These external expenses would be part of the cost of producing industrial
hemp and could be borne by taxpayers or passed on to growers and/or processors. According
to Thompson et al. (1998), Kenex Ltd. Estimates that Canadian farmers will pay US$50 annually for a background check and to obtain
the satellite coordinates for their hemp fields (fields are monitored via satellite as part of the Canadian program). The studies also
present a range of revenue estimates, which is not surprising given the uncertainty about demand and expected market prices. Overall,
it seems questionable that U.S. producers could remain profitable at the low end of the estimated net returns. In addition, given the
thinness of the current U.S. hemp fiber market, any overproduction could lead to lower prices and lost profitability.”
Mark Cochran, Tony Windham, and Billy Moore 00 – Birds feed voraciously on
Cannabis seeds
Mark J. Cochran, [is professor and head, of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Arkansas],
Tony E. Windham, [is section leader – agricultural economics and extension economist – management], and Billy Moore, [is Area
Extension Agent – Alternative Agriculture both with Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas], “FEASIBILITY OF
INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCTION IN ARKANSAS”, University of Arkansas, May 2000, http://norml.uark.edu/Hemp-Feasability-
UofA.pdf, (ZV)
“Birds feed voraciously on Cannabis seeds. Many bird species have been reported as
pests in hemp, and their feeding can lead to substantial crop losses (McPartland, 1996). Birds are a
major problem in grain crops in Arkansas. Although hemp is comparatively free of major pests, introduction of new crops to Arkansas
High-density planting, increased
and their increased production can and may result in unforeseen pest problems.
fertilizer use, and irrigation have often increased incidence of pest problems in other
crops, and such problems should be anticipated with intensive hemp production.”
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Solvency Barriers [2/4]
Mark Cochran, Tony Windham, and Billy Moore 00 - Herbicide costs and no
reduction in fertilizer costs
Mark J. Cochran, [is professor and head, of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Arkansas],
Tony E. Windham, [is section leader - agricultural economics and extension economist - management], and Billy Moore, [is Area
Extension Agent – Alternative Agriculture both with Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas], “FEASIBILITY OF
INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCTION IN ARKANSAS”, University of Arkansas, May 2000, http://norml.uark.edu/Hemp-Feasability-
UofA.pdf, (ZV)
“Pre-emergence herbicides would be needed to control such weed pest as crabgrass and other early
competitors as is evident with Kenaf production. Hemp for ideal production is a heavy user of plant nutrients
hence no reduction in the use of commercial fertilizers would be realized over other
competitive crops. Much of the sandy loam and loamy soils of Arkansas are infested with root knot nematode and other
nematode pest which will attack hemp. Cultural, biological and chemical means would have to be developed to efficiently grow hemp
in these areas. There are no processing plants within the borders of the United States. Plants
would have to be constructed and put on line. This would necessitate new permits being
obtained and environmental impact assessments made. To this point, producers of Kenaf, a similar crop, have
had difficulty obtaining permits for a processing plant in Texas. The hemp processing plants, of which
it takes two to complete the process, are no less polluting facilities than those for Kenaf or other fiber crops.
Hemp at this point in other countries has few disease and insect pests. Other crops which are now grown on a large scale once were
free of most major pests, however, as more and more of the crop was produced, the incidence of disease and insect problems
continued to rise with production. There are no reasons to believe that hemp is any different. These problems would have to be
addressed by research in breeding, genetics, agronomic properties, and if necessary chemical control.”
Randall Fortenbery and Michael Bennett 01 - any lifting of restrictions on

cultivation of industrial hemp will most certainly be accompanied by strict
regulations governing licensing and certification, cultivation, testing and monitoring
of hemp cultivation
T. Randall Fortenbery, [PhD , Economics, BS, MS , Economics], and Michael Bennett, [MB, ChB, MD], “Is Industrial Hemp Worth
Further Study in the U.S.? A Survey of the Literature”, University of Wisconsin-Madison, July 2001, Staff Paper No. 443,
http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pubs/sps/pdf/stpap443.pdf, (ZV)
“In the past, DEA has granted no registrations for the cultivation of hemp for industrial purposes, and under the Controlled
Substances Act determination needs to be made that such production is in the public interest (Industrial Hemp Taskforce, 2000).
Consequently, any lifting of restrictions on cultivation of industrial hemp will most certainly
be accompanied by strict regulations governing licensing and certification, cultivation,
testing and monitoring of hemp cultivation (this is currently the case in Canada). Compliance will likely be
primarily born by individual producers. Given the potential political and regulatory costs, combined
with the broader tasks of stimulating the levels of investment in research, market
development and domestic processing capacity needed to make hemp a viable US crop,
an important consideration in determining its long-term feasibility is the level of
collective state government interest in the crop. The broader the degree of interest, the less the burden will be
on individual state efforts. Though an in-depth discussion of this is beyond the scope of this paper, the current situation regarding state
efforts to legalize production is documented in Appendix I for reference.”
Zack Voell HSD RC
USDA 00 – technology needed to process hemp is lacking majorly in the US

“In addition to the uncertainty about yields, there is some question as to whether hemp fibers can be
profitably processed in the United States. As was outlined earlier, the technologies used to
process hemp fiber have not changed much and they require capital investment and
knowledgeable workers. Research is under way to streamline harvesting, retting, and
fiber separation, but those technological breakthroughs have yet to occur. Traditional
retting and fiber-separation processes—both labor and resource intensive—could limit
the ability of U.S. hemp producers to compete against major suppliers such as China,
Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Specialty oilseed crushing mills that could accommodate hemp seed do exist in the
United States. According to the Soya & Oilseed Bluebook, companies in North Dakota, Minnesota, Georgia, and North Carolina
mechanically crush flaxseed, borage, safflower, canola, sunflowerseed, crambe, peanuts, and cottonseed (Soyatech, 1999).”
Susan Lang 05 – turning plants into fuels uses more energy that the fuels produce
Susan S. Lang, [Senior Science Writer], “Cornell ecologist's study finds that producing ethanol and biodiesel from corn and other
crops is not worth the energy”, Cornell University News Service, July 5, 2005,
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/ethanol.toocostly.ssl.html, (ZV)
“ITHACA, N.Y. -- Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy
than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University
and University of California-Berkeley study. "There is just no energy benefit to using
plant biomass for liquid fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at
Cornell. "These strategies are not sustainable." Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and
environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed analysis of the energy input-
yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for
producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources
Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76). In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol
production, the study found that: corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel
produced; switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and
wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced. In terms of
energy output compared with the energy input for biodiesel production, the study found
that: soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced, and
sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced. In assessing
inputs, the researchers considered such factors as the energy used in producing the crop (including production of pesticides and
fertilizer, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop) and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the
water mix. Although additional costs are incurred, such as federal and state subsidies that are passed on to consumers and the costs
associated with environmental pollution or degradation, these figures were not included in the analysis. "The
United State
desperately needs a liquid fuel replacement for oil in the near future," says Pimentel, "but
producing ethanol or biodiesel from plant biomass is going down the wrong road,
because you use more energy to produce these fuels than you get out from the
combustion of these products." Although Pimentel advocates the use of burning biomass to produce thermal energy (to
heat homes, for example), he deplores the use of biomass for liquid fuel. "The government spends more than $3 billion a year to
subsidize ethanol production when it does not provide a net energy balance or gain, is not a renewable energy source or an economical
fuel. Further, its production and use contribute to air, water and soil pollution and global warming," Pimentel says. He points out that
the vast majority of the subsidies do not go to farmers but to large ethanol-producing corporations. "Ethanol production in the United
States does not benefit the nation's energy security, its agriculture, economy or the environment," says Pimentel. "Ethanol production
requires large fossil energy input, and therefore, it is contributing to oil and natural gas imports and U.S. deficits." He says the
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country should instead focus its efforts on producing electrical energy from photovoltaic cells, wind
power and burning biomass and producing fuel from hydrogen conversion.”
Susan Lang 05 - Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses
much more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates
Susan S. Lang, [Senior Science Writer], “Cornell ecologist's study finds that producing ethanol and biodiesel from corn and other
crops is not worth the energy”, Cornell University News Service, July 5, 2005,
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/ethanol.toocostly.ssl.html, (ZV)
“ITHACA, N.Y. -- Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much
more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University
and University of California-Berkeley study. "There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for
liquid fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell. "These strategies are not
sustainable." Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed
analysis of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing
biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76).”
USDA 00 - Issues of legality increases incumbency

“Industrial hemp can be grown as a fiber and/or seed crop. Grown for fiber, it is planted
in dense stands to maximize stalk production. Grown for seed or for seed and fiber, plants
are spaced farther apart to encourage branching and seed production. Marijuana varieties
are grown for their leaves and flower buds, and therefore are grown under low-density
conditions to maximize branching. Thus, planting density and other production
characteristics do not offer a reliable way to distinguish varieties for law enforcement
purposes.”
Drug Watch International 02 - the pro-drug lobby has made a wide array of false,
misleading, and unsubstantiated claims about hemp
“Position Statement on Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)”, Drug Watch International, November 2002, <accessed December 23, 2009>,
http://www.drugwatch.org/Hemp.htm, (ZV)
“In its pursuit of drug legalization, the pro-drug lobby has made a wide array of false,
misleading, and unsubstantiated claims, including allegations that cannabis hemp
production can save the rain forests and protect the environment by replacing tens of
thousands of wood, plastic, oil, food, and textile products.3. Cannabis hemp plants containing less than
0.3 percent THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) became legal to grow in Canada in March 1998.4. In the
United States, hemp lobbies have put pressure on state legislatures or used the citizen
initiative process in their efforts to effect legislation allowing the production of cannabis
hemp.”
Semida Silveira 05 - Hemp is unimportant as a fuel source in the EU, despite being
legal there.
Semida Silveira, [professor on energy and climate studies], “Bioenergy: Realizing the Potential”, 2005, ISBN: 0080446612,
<accessed via GoogleBooks>, http://books.google.com/books?id=qTDgf1o8weEC&dq=%22Bioenergy-Realizing+the+Potential
%22&source=bn&hl=en&ei=DtsyS9qhNcLOlAec2d2WBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-ref-page-link&cad=one-book-with-
thumbnail&resnum=4&ved=0CBYQ6gEwAw, (ZV)
“Energy, environment, agricultural and forestry-based drivers are contributing to a rediscovery of bioenergy in industrialized nations
with access to biomass resources. In fact, bioenergy offers the possibility to harness a domestic, rural-based, low-carbon and
sustainable energy source in both industrialized and developing countries. Currently,
commercial and
noncommercial uses of biomass represent about 13.5 per cent of the world’s primary
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energy consumption (see also Figure 1.1). In the European Union (EU), bioenergy comprises some 3.5
per cent of the total primary energy mix. Figure 2.1 shows the primary energy consumption in the European
Union, including details of renewable energy sources. Notably, biomass is the largest renewable energy source
in the European Union. The biomass resources commonly used in the EU are fuelwood,
wood residues from the wood-processing industry, used wood products (e.g. demolition wood),
and also straw in some countries. Various modern technologies are being applied.”
2. Market Collapse
USDA 00 – small increases in world hemp production caused export prices to fall by
half in 1996
“Industry sources and some academic studies, such as Thompson et al. (1998) and Gardner and White (1998), cite numerous current
and potential uses for hemp bast fiber and hurds. For these applications to develop or expand, hemp will have to
compete with current raw materials and manufacturing practices. In the market for
nonwood fibers, hemp would have to compete with cotton, flax, abaca, sisal, and other
nonwood fibers in terms of fiber characteristics, fiber quality, and price. The U.S. market
for hemp fibers is, and will likely remain, a small, thin market. Changes in price or
quantity could be more disruptive and have a greater adverse impact on market
participants than would be the case in a larger market. For example, small increases in world
hemp fiber and tow production caused export prices to fall by half to a world average of 35 cents per pound
in 1996 (Vantreese, 1998). See Appendix II for a discussion and some examples of oversupply in small, thin markets.”
USDA 00 – Changes in price or quantity could be more disruptive and have a

greater adverse impact on market participants than would be the case in a larger
market
“Current markets for bast fibers like industrial hemp include specialty textiles, paper, and composites. Hemp hurds, the inner woody
portion of the plant stem, are used in various applications such as animal bedding, composites, and low-quality papers. As joint
products, finding viable markets for both hemp bast fiber and hurds may increase the chances of a successful business venture. Hemp
industry sources and some academic studies cite many potential uses for hemp fiber and hurds. However, for
these
applications to develop or expand, hemp will have to compete with current raw materials
and manufacturing practices. The U.S. market for hemp fibers is, and will likely remain, a
small, thin market. Changes in price or quantity could be more disruptive and have a greater
adverse impact on market participants than would be the case in a larger market.”
Randall Fortenbery and Michael Bennett 01 - Flooding the market with hemp
destroys the industry, it destroys competition with other producers
T. Randall Fortenbery, [PhD , Economics, BS, MS , Economics], and Michael Bennett, [MB, ChB, MD], “Is Industrial Hemp Worth
Further Study in the U.S.? A Survey of the Literature”, University of Wisconsin-Madison, July 2001, Staff Paper No. 443,
http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pubs/sps/pdf/stpap443.pdf, (ZV)
“The greatest research need for the commercialization of hemp appears to be in the development of harvesting and processing
technology. The marginal profitability currently estimated combined with several substitute
inputs in most industrial uses suggests that a significant increase in the supply of hemp
would adversely impact market prices to the point that US hemp production would not be
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viable. Cost saving innovations would be necessary to overcome the price impact of
increased supply if hemp were to be a viable crop for US producers over the longer term.”
3. AT: Economic Benefit
Drug Watch International 02 - The claimed advantages of cannabis hemp over

other raw materials are false
“The claimed advantages of cannabis hemp over other raw materials are false. Better
alternative products exist in every case.6. Reflecting these economics, world production
of hemp is now only slightly more than one-fifth what it was in the 1960s. Additionally,
recent world market prices for hemp are below most estimated U.S. and Canadian
production costs. The U. S. Department of Agriculture has researched the economic
potential for hemp grown by American farmers and found that the U.S. market for hemp
fibers “is, and will likely remain, only a small, thin market.” The long-term demand for
hemp products is uncertain, and there is a high potential to quickly reach oversupply.
The market potential for hemp seed as a food ingredient will probably remain small.
These outlooks discount the prospects for hemp as an economically viable alternative
crop.”
Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Paper proves

“Paper: Most of the fibers from the hemp plant are not suitable for production of writing
and printing paper.9. The usable part of the plant has such a high processing cost that its
use is restricted to extremely limited-demand, high-priced specialty papers and is not
economical for mass-production paper grades. Many fiber alternatives for paper-making
are available and more competitive.”
Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Plastic and

Synthetic Fibers proves
“Plastic and Synthetic Fibers: Hemp fibers are inferior for making rope, twine, and other products
where durability and strength are important. Unlike plastic and synthetics, hemp absorbs
water, becomes heavy, and rots easily. “For every proposed use of industrial (cannabis)
hemp, there already exists an available product, or raw material, which is cheaper to
manufacture and provides better market results.”
Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Vegetable

Oil/Fuel proves
“Vegetable Oil/Fuel: Many plants such as corn, sorghum, and alfalfa produce more biomass per
acre, are more soil building than hemp, and are already meeting market demands for
alternative fuels such as ethanol.”
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Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Food and
Cosmetic Products proves
“Food and Cosmetic Products: Hemp seed containing THC is now being aggressively promoted
and marketed for use in food, cosmetics, and nutraceutical (so-called health supplements)
products.12. However, THC is fat-soluble and accumulates in the human body.13. The
United Nations reports that the health effects of cannabis food products have not been
adequately researched. The European Union has reduced the allowable THC content of
hemp and reports that there is no nutritional justification for hemp food products.”
4. AT: Environmental Benefits
Drug Watch International 02 - Cannabis hemp is not a unique, environmentally

friendly crop
“Cannabis hemp is not a unique, environmentally friendly crop. Like any other
agricultural commodity there are fertilization requirements, the need to deal chemically
with insect pests, and the use of fungicide treatment of hemp seeds. Cannabis hemp
causes more soil nutrient depletion than cotton, flax, and grain crops, and far greater soil
erosion than occurs with well managed and minimally disturbed forestlands.
Additionally, a hemp field’s possibilities for biodiversity and wildlife habitat are very
limited in comparison to those of a forest.”
Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not environmentally benefitial, Hemp

Yields prove
“Yield: Claims that hemp has “four times” the pulp yield of forests are false. Joseph E.
Atchison, a non-wood plant fiber scientist, consultant, and winner of many industry
awards, has stated that the yield of acceptable hemp pulp (.5 - .6 tons per acre) is only about half
that of well managed pine plantations (.9 -1.2 tons) and only a small fraction of some
intensively managed, fast-growing hardwoods (4 - 6 tons).”
Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not environmentally benefitial, Trees prove

“Trees: Nothing can compete with forests for pulp as far as saving energy and using the
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and forests are healthier if mature trees are harvested.
Sustainable forestry practices, high efficiency, and increasing recycling are in place in the
wood products industry in most industrial countries. For instance, there is no impending
wood reserve/fiber crisis in the United States. Timber growth in the United States has
exceeded annual harvest by 33 percent since the 1940s, and in 1996 growth of
commercial timber in its National Forests exceeded harvest by 76 percent. Currently, the
United States has about two-thirds of the forest area that it had in the 1600s.”
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5. GW ith Unstoppable
San Francisco Chronicle 05 - It is already too late to prevent global warming and
the climate change it sets off
Mark Hertsgaard, “It's much too late to sweat global warming; Time to prepare for inevitable effects of our ill-fated future”, San
Francisco Chronicle, February 13, 2005, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/13/INGP4B7GC91.DTL, (ZV)
“At the core of the global warming dilemma is a fact neither side of the debate likes to talk about: It is already too late to
prevent global warming and the climate change it sets off. Environmentalists won't say
this for fear of sounding alarmist or defeatist. Politicians won't say it because then they'd have to do something
about it. The world's top climate scientists have been sending this message, however, with
increasing urgency for many years. Since 1988, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comprised of
more than 2,000 scientific and technical experts from around the world, has conducted the most extensive peer-reviewed scientific inquiry in history. In
its 2001 report, the panel said that human-caused global warming had already begun, and much sooner than expected. What's more, the problem is bound
to get worse, perhaps a lot worse, before it gets better. Last month, the climate change panel's chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, upped the ante. Although
Pachauri was installed after the Bush administration forced out his predecessor, Robert Watson, for pushing too hard for action, the accumulation of
most
evidence led Pachauri to embrace apocalyptic language: "We are risking the ability of the human race to survive," he said. Until now,
public discussion about global warming has focused on how to prevent it -- for example, by
implementing the Kyoto Protocol, which comes into force internationally (but without U.S. participation) on Wednesday. But
prevention is no longer a sufficient option. No matter how many "green" cars and solar
panels Kyoto eventually calls into existence, the hard fact is that a certain amount of global warming
is inevitable. The world community therefore must make a strategic shift. It must expand its response to global warming to emphasize both
long-term and short-term protection. Rising sea levels and more weather-related disasters will be a fact of life on this planet for decades to come, and we
have to get ready for them. Among the steps needed to defend ourselves is quick action to fortify emergency response capabilities worldwide, to shield or
relocate vulnerable coastal communities and to prepare for increased migration flows by environmental refugees. We must also play offense. We must
retroactively shrink the amount of warming facing us by redoubling efforts to remove existing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and sequester them
where they are no longer dangerous. One way is to plant trees, which absorb carbon dioxide via photosynthesis. Researchers are exploring many other
methods as well, some of them supported by the Bush administration. And Norway is burying carbon dioxide in abandoned oil wells beneath the North
Sea. The problem with the Kyoto Protocol is not that the 5 percent greenhouse gas emission reductions it mandates don't go far enough, though they
don't. (The climate change panel urges 50 to 70 percent reductions.) The problem is that Kyoto governs only future emissions. No matter how well the
protocol works, it will have no effect on past emissions, which are what have made global warming unavoidable. Contrary to the impression given by
global warming is not like a light switch that can be turned off if we simply
some news reports,
stop burning so much oil, coal and gas. There is a lag effect of about 50 to 100 years. That's how long carbon
dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, remains in the atmosphere after it is emitted from auto tailpipes, home furnaces and industrial
even if humanity stopped burning fossil fuels tomorrow, the planet would
smokestacks. So
continue warming for decades.”
NPR 09 - Climate change is essentially irreversible

Richard Harris, [reporter], “Global Warming Is Irreversible, Study Says”, NPR, January 26, 2009,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99888903, (ZV)
“Climate change is essentially irreversible, according to a sobering new scientific study. As carbon
dioxide emissions continue to rise, the world will experience more and more long-term
environmental disruption. The damage will persist even when, and if, emissions are
brought under control, says study author Susan Solomon, who is among the world's top climate scientists. "We're
used to thinking about pollution problems as things that we can fix," Solomon says. "Smog, we just
cut back and everything will be better later. Or haze, you know, it'll go away pretty quickly.”
The Independent 05 - The northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical

threshold beyond which the climate may never recover
Steve Connor, [Science Editor for The Independent], “Global warming 'past the point of no return'”, The Independent, [Independent
United Kingdom Popular Newspaper], September 16, 2005, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/global-warming-past-the-
point-of-no-return-507030.html, (ZV)
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“A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the
northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may
never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of
warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years. They
believe global warming is melting Arctic ice so rapidly that the region is beginning to absorb more heat from the sun, causing the ice
to melt still further and so reinforcing a vicious cycle of melting and heating. The
greatest fear is that the Arctic has
reached a "tipping point" beyond which nothing can reverse the continual loss of sea ice
and with it the massive land glaciers of Greenland, which will raise sea levels
dramatically.”
The Independent 05 - Warrant for “Global Warming is Irreversible”

Steve Connor, [Science Editor for The Independent], “Global warming 'past the point of no return'”, The Independent, [Independent
United Kingdom Popular Newspaper], September 16, 2005, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/global-warming-past-the-
point-of-no-return-507030.html, (ZV)
“Sea ice naturally melts in summer and reforms in winter but for the first time on record
this annual rebound did not occur last winter when the ice of the Arctic failed to recover
significantly. Arctic specialists at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre at Colorado
University, who have documented the gradual loss of polar sea ice since 1978, believe
that a more dramatic melt began about four years ago. In September 2002 the sea ice
coverage of the Arctic reached its lowest level in recorded history. Such lows have
normally been followed the next year by a rebound to more normal levels, but this did not
occur in the summers of either 2003 or 2004. This summer has been even worse. The surface
area covered by sea ice was at a record monthly minimum for each of the summer months - June, July and now August. Scientists
analyzing the latest satellite data for September - the traditional minimum extent for each summer - are preparing to announce a
significant shift in the stability of the Arctic sea ice, the northern hemisphere's major "heat sink" that moderates climatic extremes.
"The changes we've seen in the Arctic over the past few decades are nothing short of
remarkable," said Mark Serreze, one of the scientists at the Snow and Ice Data Centre who monitor Arctic sea ice.”
Computer Science Division of UC Berkeley 04 - We are quickly moving to the point

where global warming damage will be irreversible
Jim Lobe, [graduated magna cum laude from Williams College in Williamstown (Massachusetts), with highest honors in History. He
received his Juris Doctor from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley in 1974.], “Damage from Warming
Becoming 'Irreversible,' Says New Report”, Computer Science Division of UC Berkeley, March 15, 2004,
http://learning.berkeley.edu/cipolat/PDF/ISF60/Articles/IrreversibleDamage.pdf, (ZV)
“WASHINGTON, D.C., Mar 15 (OneWorld) -- Ten years after the ratification of a United Nations (news - web sites) treaty on
climate change, greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming are still on the rise, signaling a "collective failure" of the
industrialized world, according to the Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI), a leading environmental think-tank.
"We are quickly moving to the point where the damage will be irreversible," warned Dr.
Jonathan Pershing, director of WRI's Climate, Energy and Pollution Program. "In fact, the latest scientific reports
indicate that global warming is worsening. Unless we act now, the world will be locked
into temperatures that would cause irreversible harm." WRI researchers estimate that greenhouse gas
emissions such as carbon dioxide rose 11 percent over the last decade, and will grow another 50 percent worldwide by 2020. Under
the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (news - web sites), the international agreement that sets out specific targets to follow up on the treaty, 38
industrialized countries were supposed to reduce their emissions by an average of seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012.”
6. GW ith Insignificant
Institute for Policy Innovation 07 – the earth and mars are warming at the same
rate
Dr. Merrill Mathews, [Ph.D., is a visiting scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation. He is a public policy analyst specializing in
health care, Social Security, welfare and Internet issues, and is the author of numerous studies in health policy, as well as other
Zack Voell HSD RC
public policy issues. Dr. Matthews received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas.], “Is
Global Warming Really Happening?”, Institute for Policy Innovation, June 4, 2007,
http://www.ipi.org/ipi/IPIPressReleases.nsf/0e36cc57ef9cd9a086257030006cb03e/029d025a16e10f15862572f10066f94a?
OpenDocument, (ZV)
“The London Times says there’s a new report out form NASA, the federal space agency. According to
the report global warming is real. Temperatures have increased about 0.5 degrees
Centigrade since the 1970s. And the rising temperatures are melting the southern ice cap.
Wait a minute, you say, there’s nothing new about the Earth’s global warming. But the NASA report isn’t about
Earth; it’s about . . . Mars. That’s right, the NASA report says the Red Planet’s average temperature
has been rising roughly the same as the Earth’s over the past 30 years. That means either
we don’t fully understand why the Earth is warming or those Martians are going to have
to get more efficient cars.”
Zack Voell HSD RC
Disadvantages
1. Anti-Drug War Failure
Link: Affirmative is Legalizing Hemp
Internal Link: US succeeding in fight against drugs [aka ‘Drug War’]
UN Drug Control Efforts and Reports 09 - a few years ago the world appeared to be
heading for an epidemic of drug abuse, now growing evidence suggests that the
problem is being brought under control
United Nations Drug Control Efforts And Reports, “International Harm Reduction, Demand Reduction, Supply Reduction”, July 28,
2009, http://www.csdp.org/news/news/undrug.htm#top, (ZV)
“The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released its 2007 World Drug Report on June 26, 2007, to coincide with the
International Day Against Drugs. According to the UNODC's news release, ("UN Drugs Agency Reports 'Significant And Positive
Changes' In World Drugs Markets"), "Whereas a few years ago the world appeared to be heading for an
epidemic of drug abuse, growing evidence suggests that the problem is being brought
under control, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, said on
Tuesday. 'Recent data show that the run-away train of drug addiction has slowed down,' he
said in a statement marking the launch of UNODC's 2007 World Drug Report. The Report shows global markets for illicit
drugs remained largely stable in 2005-06. 'For almost all drugs - cocaine, heroin, cannabis and
amphetamines – there are signs of overall stability, whether we speak of production,
trafficking or consumption,' Mr Costa said."
BBC 07 - top US drugs official has said anti-drug efforts are having the best results
of the past 20 years
“US claims success in war on drugs”, BBC News, October 3, 2007, <accessed December 22, 2009>,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7025308.stm, (ZV)
“The top US drugs official has said anti-drug efforts are having the best results of the past
20 years. John Walters, head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said cocaine shortages had led to a jump in prices in
37 American cities. Efforts on both sides of the Mexican border have disrupted the flow of all drugs into the US, Mr Walters said. But
he said it had not yet been proven if the results could be sustained over the long term. Mexican traffickers extradited Mr Walters was
speaking as the US and Mexico work out the details of an aid plan - expected to total $1bn - for Mexico to help combat drug cartels.
for the first time in two decades
About 90% of the cocaine entering the US comes through Mexico. "What's happened
is we now see widespread reports of cocaine shortages in the United States," Mr Walters said.
Thirty-seven cities had reported "the lack of the ability to receive wholesale amounts, kilo amounts, of cocaine in the quantities
previously supplied at prices previously charged", he said. As a result of the drop in supply, the price of cocaine had
increased by 24% and nearly doubled in some cities. The drugs tsar credited Mexican President Felipe
Calderon for some of the success. He said US investigators had been working closely with Mexican authorities in their fight against
the drug cartels. Since Mr Calderon took office in December he has sent 25,000 soldiers and police to Mexican provinces plagued by
drug violence and it seems to be working, says the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Mexico City. Several high-profile Mexican traffickers
have been extradited to the US in recent months. Mr Walters also said that fewer American workers were showing positive on drug
tests and that there were fewer cocaine-related hospital admissions. The real challenge, he said, would be maintaining the results over
the long term.”
Economist 08 – the US is succeeding in suppressing illegal drug use, Washington

state proves
“Speedy decline”, the Economist (U.S. Edition), May 1, 2008, <accessed December 22, 2009>,
http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_TTNJPSTG&source=login_payBarrier, (ZV)
Zack Voell HSD RC
“A FEW years ago Pierce county, in Washington state, was in the grip of a methamphetamine
epidemic. Toothless addicts roamed quiet rural roads, stealing everything that was not nailed down, as well as a few things (such
as a garage) that were. The child of a meth cook fell into a bucket of chemicals and was severely burned. Barb Dolan, who set up a
neighbourhood watch group, points out a cul-de-sac near her bungalow where a sheriff's deputy walked into a methamphetamine
laboratory and was met with gunfire. “It was behind every bush,” she says. No
longer. The drug is disappearing. In
2001 no fewer than 589 methamphetamine labs and dump sites were discovered in Pierce
county. Last year just 76 were. Washington's police stopped 39% fewer meth-addled
drivers in the first three months of this year, compared with the same period last year.
Fewer addicts are turning up in local hospitals. This is not just a local trend: across
America, workplace drug tests suggest methamphetamine use has been falling since
2005. It is a rare success in the war on drugs, and an oddly unheralded one. Particularly in the
West, televisions flicker with alarming documentaries such as “Montana Meth” and “Crystal Darkness”, which chronicle addiction
and rising crime in rural districts. Almost
95% of Western police forces polled last year by the
National Drug Intelligence Centre cited methamphetamine as the most serious drug
problem in their area. It will not be so for long.”
Brink: Legalizing Hemp undermines US efforts
Kirk Kicklighter 98 - legalizing hemp would undercut the government's drug

enforcement efforts
Kirk Kicklighter, [a freelance writer and former U.S. Marine Corps captain], “GETTING HEMP OVER THE HUMP”, The News and
Observer, July 4, 1998, <accessed December 22, 2009>, http://www.hempforus.com/233.htm, (ZV)
“You couldn't get high off industrial hemp even if you smoked a joint the size of a telephone pole," says Byrd, 36. But according to
the DEA, legalizing hemp would undercut the government's drug enforcement efforts. "The
cultivation of hemp is not economically feasible in the U.S.," says Barry McCaffrey, the "drug czar" who heads the White House
"What it would do is completely disarm all law enforcement
Office of National Drug Control Policy.
from upholding anti-marijuana production laws. The bottom line here is a thinly-
disguised attempt ... to legalize pot." DEA officials are worried that pot growers might
sneak onto legalized hemp fields to grow their illicit weed. They say police helicopters
wouldn't be able to distinguish between the two in the field.”
Impact: Terrorism
LA Times 09 - Three African terrorists are accused of being Al Qaeda associates

and conspiring to smuggle cocaine
Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. prosecution links drugs to terrorism”, Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2009,
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-al-qaeda-cocaine19-2009dec19,0,1837370.story, (ZV)
“The case -- the first of its kind -- portrays northwest Africa as a new danger zone. Three
men are accused of being Al Qaeda associates and conspiring to smuggle cocaine. Reporting
from Washington - Three men alleged to be Al Qaeda associates were charged Friday with
conspiring to smuggle cocaine through Africa -- the first U.S. prosecution linking the
terrorist group directly to drug trafficking. The three suspects, who were charged in
federal court in New York, are believed to be from Mali and were arrested in Ghana
during a Drug Enforcement Administration sting. Although U.S. authorities have alleged
that Al Qaeda and the Taliban profit from Afghanistan's heroin trade, the case is the first
in which suspects linked to Al Qaeda have been charged under severe narco-terrorism
laws, federal officials said.”
Zack Voell HSD RC
LA Times 09 – the terrorists benefit from the lucrative trade of illegal drugs
“We've known about this for a long time, but this is the first actionable thing we've done in response to it," DEA spokesman Rusty
Payne said. The stakes are high because of the potential for Al Qaeda in the Maghreb to use
cocaine profits in attacks on the West. Anti-terrorism investigators cite a harbinger: An
Al Qaeda-connected cell of North Africans financed their 2004 Madrid train bombings,
which killed 190 people, by dealing hashish and Ecstasy. Moreover, officials said,
conversations among informants and suspects have suggested that the lawless region
around the Gulf of Guinea is a crossroads for groups united by hatred of the United States
-- Al Qaeda, Mexican gangsters, Colombian guerrillas and Lebanese militant groups. "For
the first time in that part of the world, these guys are operating in the same environment in the same place at the same time," said
Michael Braun, a former chief of DEA operations. "They
are doing business and cutting deals. What's
most troubling about this is the personal relationships that these guys are making today,
between drug organizations and terror organizations, will become operational alliances in
the future.”
LA Times 09 - Western and African investigators have pointed to concrete signs of

the convergence of drugs and terrorism
“In recent years, Western and African investigators have pointed to concrete signs of the
convergence of drugs and terrorism in the region. In 2007, two accused operatives of the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a major player in cocaine trafficking, were arrested in Guinea-Bissau -- described by many as
Morocco's interior minister asserted that Al Qaeda in the
Africa's first "narco-state." And last year,
Maghreb fighters were enriching themselves by taxing the cocaine smuggling routes in
Mali and Mauritania to the south. "It is a zone where there is a lot of money circulating,
with cocaine traffic that is growing fast," Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa said. "A certain number
of terror networks exploit this situation because these groups guarantee, secure the
routes.”
CBS 08 – terrorists make money on drugs and create weapons with that money
Armen Keteyian, “Inside The Afghan Poppy Wars; Is The U.S.-Led War On Drugs In Afghanistan Undermining The War On
Terror?”, CBS News, June 25, 2008, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4210600.shtml, (ZV)
“It's been called the world's deadliest flower. "Because that flower turns into heroin,
which turns into money," said Eric Sherepita. "That money turns into weapons used against us."
Sherepita spent a year supervising a small army of private contractors and hundreds of Afghans cutting down fields of poppies all over
the country - at a cost of more than $6,800 per acre. But despite their best efforts and more than a billion in taxpayer dollars poured
into the war on drugs on all fronts since 2004 - poppy production is up 300 percent in the last six years. It now totals more than
470,000 acres.”
International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy 04 -
there are links between terrorism and illegal drug trafficking
Yvon Dandurand, [Criminologist, Dean of Research and Industry Liaison, University College of the Fraser Valley, and Senior
Associate, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy], and Vivienne Chin, [Associate, International
Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy], “Links Between Terrorism and Other Forms of Crime A report
submitted to: Foreign Affairs Canada and The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime”, International Centre for Criminal Law
Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, April 2004,
http://www.icclr.law.ubc.ca/Publications/Reports/TNOC_LINKS_STUDY_REPORT.pdf, (ZV)
“Criminal activities with suspected links to terrorism are mainly related to individuals connected with suspected networks, notably
within the Islamic world. With respect to money laundering and the financing of terrorism, it appears that the same channels
(including sometimes the use of the banking system) are used as for other crimes. Germany also drew attention to the concern that
Zack Voell HSD RC
there is also some
financial intermediaries may be abused by terrorists as part of money laundering schemes. In that country,
evidence to suggest that there are links between terrorism and illegal drug trafficking
insofar as terrorism is being partly financed by the funds generated from that illicit
market. There are clear links between terrorist activities and various criminal activities
relating to the smuggling of illegal migrants and the falsification of travel and other
official documents. The falsified documents used by extremists/terrorists generally originate from criminal sources. The
documents can be traced to workshops abroad that specialize in forging documents and to other sources that are the focus of analyses
currently being conducted by the Federal Criminal Police Office. Islamic extremists/terrorists do not have any “production
workshops” of their own for the production of falsified documents. Persons close to them or related to them modify blank stolen or
completely falsified documents.”
Impact: Hegemony
Catalina Rojas 02 – war to prevent illegal drug trade preserves US hegemony

Catalina Rojas, [Political Scientist and doctoral candidate at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason
University], "What is the War on TERRORISM", June 2002, http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/pdf/110/11040707.pdf, (ZV)
“The military and economic engagement increased constantly as more countries were targeted and a more direct military participation
developed. Hence, the war on drugs was a typical post-cold war operation characterized by low- intensity
intervention and democracy assistance projects. Those operations serve also the
following purposes: domestically it showed a 'tough' attitude towards drugs, necessary to
justify to the taxpayers the billions of dollars that they have been paying ever since
Internationally, the war on drugs serves the purpose of maintaining US hegemony over the
region in which regional security and internal order merge into one.”
2. US-Saudi Relations
Link: Affirmative is legalizing Hemp as an Alt Energy source
Brink: US Oil Usage K2 US-Saudi Relations
Michael Klare - The United States must maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia
and other oil producers in the region
Michael T. Klare, [a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and is the
author of "Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict"], “Oil Moves the War Machine”, The Progressive, <accessed
December 22, 2009>, http://www.progressive.org/node/1547, (ZV)
“Since its inception, the Bush Administration has launched two great foreign policy initiatives:
a global war against terrorism, and a global campaign to expand American access to
foreign oil. Originally, each possessed its own rationale and mode of operation. As time has passed, however, they
have become increasingly intertwined, so that today the war on terrorism and the struggle
for oil have become one vast enterprise. The underpinnings of the Bush foreign policy can be
found in the national energy policy paper of May 17, 2001, known as the Cheney report.
This report became infamous for two reasons: Cheney wouldn't release the names of the people he consulted for it, and the report
recommends drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But these controversies distracted attention away from the gist of the
report, which is spelled out in chapter eight, "Strengthening Global Alliances." There, the report "recommends that the President make
energy security a priority of our trade and foreign policy." The report says the United States will become
Zack Voell HSD RC
increasingly reliant on foreign oil. At present, we obtain about half of our petroleum from foreign sources; by 2020,
imports will account for two-thirds of U.S. consumption, the report predicts. From this, it draws two conclusions:
The United States must maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia and other oil
producers in the region, and the United States must diversify oil suppliers around the
world. "Middle East oil producers will remain central to world oil security," it says, but "our
engagement must be global." This means developing close ties with major suppliers in all oil-producing areas, including the Caspian
region, Africa, and Latin America, which the report calls "high-priority areas." The Administration was already poised to act on this
policy when Arab hijackers struck New York and Washington on September 11. These plans were then put aside, as the White House
concentrated its attention on efforts to immobilize Al Qaeda and to topple the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. By December, however,
The primacy
the Administration was ready to focus again on the security aspects of growing U.S. dependence on imported oil.
of oil is clear in several places, most obviously, Saudi Arabia. Though fifteen of the eighteen
hijackers were Saudi, though Osama bin Laden himself is Saudi, though the Saudis practice
Wahhabism and finance some of the most reactionary madrassas around the world, the Bush Administration is in no
position to break relations with the kingdom. Saudi Arabia possesses 25 percent of the world's known oil
reserves. And, as the Cheney report notes, "Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter, has been a linchpin of supply reliability to
world oil markets.”
Impact: Regional Stability Devastated
Shibley Telhami 02 - a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia remains indispensable

because of their role in regional stability
Shibley Telhami, [a professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland and senior fellow at the Brookings
Institution], “A Need for Prudence in the Persian Gulf”, New York Times, January 29, 2002, http://www.sadat.umd.edu/pub/oped/A
%20need%20for%20prudence%20in%20the%20Persian%20Gulf.htm, (ZV)
“Nonetheless, a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia remains indispensable, even if the military
presence there is reduced. First, a necessary American presence in Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and elsewhere in the
Persian Gulf will continue to require Saudi acquiescence. Saudi Arabia remains the
central power in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and its position will ultimately affect the decisions of the
smaller states. Second, Saudi Arabia has the ability to use its oil production capacities to reduce the effect of short-term spikes in the
oil market. In this respect, Saudi Arabia is likely to become even more important in the future because it controls more than a quarter
It would be unwise to alter our policy dramatically while the war
of the world's proven oil reserves.
on Al Qaeda continues. Indeed, a sharp change now might be seen as rewarding Osama
bin Laden. But quietly, over time, the United States and Saudi Arabia should begin talks to reduce the American military
presence, because our mutual interests will require that change.”
J. Robinson West 01 - Close U.S.-Saudi relations are a keystone of U.S. Middle East
policy
J. Robinson West, [Former Assistant Secretary of the Interior, and currently Chairman of the Petroleum Finance Co.], “The Saudi
problem: ignore the press reports. If the goal is stability, Saudi Arabia is becoming more stable today than in years past.(Brief
Article)”, The International Economy, November 1, 2001, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-82005574.html, (ZV)
“The American public has recently been served up a stream of articles about strains in the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia and the
imminent demise of the Saudi royal family. Americans are troubled by regions of violent opposition, as well as the fact that many of
Osama bin Laden's terrorists were born in Saudi Arabia, and funded from there. The impression has been created that America is
bearing the consequences of Saudi incompetence, corruption, and inaction. This picture is outdated and complicates U.S.-Saudi
relations. Close U.S.-Saudi relations are a keystone of U.S. Middle East policy. The two countries
enjoy a long-standing strategic alliance, founded on a simple exchange: Saudi Arabia would provide an uninterrupted flow of oil to the
United States, which in return would insure regional security, guaranteeing that Saudi resources would not fall prey to hungry
predators. Since the alliance was formed by President Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz near the end of World War II, differences of
opinion have occurred from time to time, but the underlying foundation remained solid. The kingdom does have serious economic and
political problems. Sentiment on the ground is certainly more charged than before September 11th. But this is a long way from
The kingdom has
concluding that Saudi Arabia is an unreliable partner, or that the royal family's days are numbered.
begun to put internal and external policies in place in recent years to stabilize the situation
Zack Voell HSD RC
they now face. Media reports partly reflect frustration in Washington political circles with Saudi
Arabia's hesitant cooperation in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. In actual fact, the kingdom has
provided cooperation, albeit not as publicly as the Bush administration might have liked. And its most
important contribution has been on the oil side, cajoling OPEC into accepting lower
prices immediately after September 11th.”
3. Marijuana Legalization
Link: Affirmative is legalizing Hemp
Brink: After hemp is legal, Marijuana comes next
Drug Watch International 02 - The tie-in between cannabis hemp and pot smoking
is now being used by proponents of drug legalization as a marketing tool
“The tie-in between cannabis hemp and pot smoking is now being used by proponents of
drug legalization as a marketing tool. Marijuana/hemp symbols on youth-oriented
products have proliferated. The “bring back hemp” campaign is aimed primarily at high
school and college students who are being actively recruited into the pro-drug ideology,
using false economic and environmental claims as a ruse. Campus-based pro-
hemp/marijuana clubs and “youth-friendly” pro-drug websites participate in wooing this
age group.”
Gayla Martindale 07 - Federal anti-drug officials say that allowing such crops
would create a slippery slope toward legalizing marijuana
Gayla Martindale, [reference librarian at Illinois Central College], “Is Hemp the Answer To Our Energy Problems?”, State
University.com, March 2007, http://www.stateuniversity.com/blog/permalink/Is-Hemp-the-Answer-To-Our-Energy-Problems-.html,
(ZV)
“Industrial hemp has little in common with marijuana. While marijuana produces a high when smoked, hemp doesn’t. This is because
the level of THC in hemp is below 1%. No THC, no high. As more people become educated of the benefits of hemp, there is more
Federal anti-drug officials say that allowing
interest in examining its potential and legalizing it. Unfortunately,
such crops would create a slippery slope toward legalizing marijuana. Currently, the U.S. is the
only developed nation that has not established hemp as a legal crop. Great Britain lifted its ban in 1993; Germany did so in 1996; and
Canada followed two years later. The European Union has subsidized hemp production since the 1990s.”
Washington Post 97 – Law enforcement sees no distinction between pot and hemp
John Mintz, “SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS”, Washington Post, January 5, 1997, <accessed December 23, 2009>,
http://www.hempforus.com/491.htm, (ZV)
“There are two varieties of the hemp plant, or cannabis sativa. One is pot, the sweet-
smelling greenish herb that gets you high when you smoke it. The other is industrial
hemp, and puffing it gives you a headache. The pro-hemp forces want state and federal
authorities to study legalizing industrial hemp while continuing to ban pot. But law
enforcement draws no distinction between the two weeds. “Hemp is a controlled substance under the
1972 Controlled Substances Act,” explained Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman James McGivney.”
Zack Voell HSD RC
Impact: Marijuana legalized
US Drug Enforcement Administration - Marijuana is a ‘gateway’ drug

“Exposing the Myth of Smoked Medical Marijuana; Marijuana: The Facts”, US Drug Enforcement Administration, <accessed
December 26, 2009>, http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/marijuana.html, (ZV)
“Yes. Among marijuana's most harmful consequences is its role in leading to the use of
other illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Long-term studies of students who use drugs
show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana.
While not all people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, using marijuana sometimes lowers inhibitions about drug use and
The risk of using cocaine has been estimated to
exposes users to a culture that encourages use of other drugs.
be more than 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who
have never tried it.”

Negative - Hemp Legalization

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Negative - Hemp Legalization

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Negative: Hemp Page 1 of 19

Zack Voell HSD RC

Negative: Hemp (Cannabis Sativa)

i. Framers Intent - The framers of the resolution put “The Federal

Affirmative mandates the legalization of Hemp, which is a state policy…

…according to the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007

USDA 00 – Hemp monitoring, licensing, or regulating costs are superly, massively,

Solvency Barriers [2/4]

Randall Fortenbery and Michael Bennett 01 - any lifting of restrictions on

Solvency Barriers [3/4]

USDA 00 – technology needed to process hemp is lacking majorly in the US

USDA 00 - Issues of legality increases incumbency

USDA 00 – Changes in price or quantity could be more disruptive and have a

3. AT: Economic Benefit

Drug Watch International 02 - The claimed advantages of cannabis hemp over

Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Paper proves

Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Plastic and

Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not economically benefitial, Vegetable

4. AT: Environmental Benefits

Drug Watch International 02 - Cannabis hemp is not a unique, environmentally

Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not environmentally benefitial, Hemp

Drug Watch International 02 - Hemp is not environmentally benefitial, Trees prove

NPR 09 - Climate change is essentially irreversible

The Independent 05 - The northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical

The Independent 05 - Warrant for “Global Warming is Irreversible”

Computer Science Division of UC Berkeley 04 - We are quickly moving to the point

Link: Affirmative is Legalizing Hemp

Internal Link: US succeeding in fight against drugs [aka ‘Drug War’]

Economist 08 – the US is succeeding in suppressing illegal drug use, Washington

Brink: Legalizing Hemp undermines US efforts

Kirk Kicklighter 98 - legalizing hemp would undercut the government's drug

LA Times 09 - Three African terrorists are accused of being Al Qaeda associates

LA Times 09 - Western and African investigators have pointed to concrete signs of

Catalina Rojas 02 – war to prevent illegal drug trade preserves US hegemony

Link: Affirmative is legalizing Hemp as an Alt Energy source

Brink: US Oil Usage K2 US-Saudi Relations

Impact: Regional Stability Devastated

Shibley Telhami 02 - a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia remains indispensable

Link: Affirmative is legalizing Hemp

Brink: After hemp is legal, Marijuana comes next

Impact: Marijuana legalized

US Drug Enforcement Administration - Marijuana is a ‘gateway’ drug

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