Legalize hemp, and start growing it for paper and fuel. It would free us from foreign oil and we would never have to cut down another tree!!!! Any CO2 that is released from burning hemp as a fuel is equal to the CO2 the plant had beneficially taken from the environment while growing, creating what is called a closed carbon cycle. One acre of hemp yields as much as up to 4 acres of trees. Trees take 20 years to mature, while hemp only takes 4 months. Also since deforestation is such a serious environmental problem today, hemp can offer a significant contribution to the world’s environment as well as its economy.