Hemp Comment Governor?

Jerry Brown: One very prominent environmental law is the federal law of public nuisance that affects the relationship of one state to another. There is currently a lawsuit by five attorneys general against certain Midwestern electric utilities that burn coal and emit greenhouse gases. The lawsuit aims to cap the greenhouse gases and require a phased reduction in their emission of greenhouse gases. The theory of this particular case is that the burning of coal is affecting the environments of several states, including California.

This is a very unique, difficult lawsuit to win, but it is an example of how the statutory and the case law of both federal and state courts can be used to protect the environment if we all work together and this could be done with air quality, water quality, toxics, habitat preservation, forests, the load of chemicals that human beings are now assuming because of all the chemicals in the stream of commerce.

Julie: Would this be a priority?

Jerry Brown: A top priority for me will be the use of existing law to advance a much higher level of environmental protection.

Julie: How do you feel about the legalization of the cultivation of hemp for the manufacture of products such as hemp oil or clothing? 

Jerry Brown: I certainly think there’s a lot of value there in hemp. As far as my understanding goes, it's available in Canada, and I'd like to see how well it's doing there.

Julie: Studies are showing that the hemp manufacturing dollars would benefit California in an unprecedented way.

Jerry Brown: I believe there’s a federal set of rules that limit the cultivation of hemp products and I think it would take a change from congress.

Julie: Do you think there will be a point in time soon, where a substantial number of people would consider the environment more important than short term economic gain?

Jerry Brown: Already a lot of people say the environment should take precedence, polls show that. Now, whether or not someone would say that if his own job or livelihood would be affected is another question, but it does raise the very important point that the economy is contained within the environment. The economy has to subordinate itself to the ecological rules that govern the natural world. When you offend these rules, you can generate all sorts of very negative consequences, whether it is the collapse of fisheries or the build-up of chemicals in the environment, in the body, in the soils. 

Source: layogamagazne Jerry Brown interview