Biodegradable Sneakers Sprout Flowers When Planted 242
Zothecula writes "People may joke about their dirty old sneakers turning into science projects or mini ecosystems, but once OAT Shoes' compostable sneakers become commercially available within the next several weeks ... let's just say, those same people may no longer be joking when they make those kind of statements. Made using hemp, cork, bio-cotton, certified biodegradable plastics, chlorine-free bleach and other nontoxic materials, the shoes are designed to completely break down when buried in the ground – the first batch will even come with seeds in their tongues, so that wildflowers will sprout up in commemoration of users' planted, expired kicks."
Re:The important question is... (Score:2, Informative)
Just look at the price, that will give you a ceiling anyway.
Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Informative)
Hemp [wikipedia.org] grown for fiber does not contain enough THC to get a fly high.
Re:Obligatory (Score:4, Informative)
Dammit! I meant "their bedrooms", of course.
Re:Obligatory (Score:3, Informative)
It is a common myth that one would be able hide marijuana among hemp plants, but it is an absurd myth to anyone who's read about the issue instead of watching people on TV talk about it. First off, simply comparing the pictures of Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica will show you they don't even look alike. Secondly, hemp grown for fiber is harvested before it ever flowers, as fiber quality will drop if it does. For those grown for seed or oil I am unsure, but the first point stands even if they were harvested at a similar time in relation to flowering. Finally, cross-pollination would render the cannabis recreationally useless. One can only conclude that if it is true growing hemp is banned so nobody hides cannabis in hemp fields, that it is a law made in ignorance that should be repealed.
With regards to your point about there being no law against importation, it's plenty enough to make it too expensive to compete and gain any significant market share. Have you ever tried to purchase imported hemp cloth or hemp seed? The very cheapest hemp cloth I have run across is about $12 a yard, and it averages about $20 a yard. Compare with $2-$4 a yard for similarly plain, unbleached/undyed cotton. Hemp seed commonly runs $8 to $14 a pound. I would be surprised if they could not be produced at under $2 a yard and under $2 a pound if made inside the country by a well-established hemp industry, which would have been present had it never been banned.
I was not familiar with Marinol and had to look it up just now. It is true that it is isolated THC, but that's all it is, and cannabis contains dozens of cannabinoids with varying actions. People prescribed Marinol that have used Cannabis describe Marinol as harsh and not very fun, and totally unsuitable for recreational use. Additionally, four deaths have been attributed to Marinol. Maybe I haven't been looking hard enough, but I've never heard of any deaths attributed to cannabis.
I'm not going to argue it's all a conspiracy for profit, but I will say the details of the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 are all extremely convenient and fishy. Just how many decades more do we have to suffer Anslinger's personal crusade against hemp, even after his death? This lunacy has gone on so maddeningly long that many people don't even question it.