The Hempster's Stitch Hemp Info

AUSTRALIA began research trials in Tasmania in 1995. Victoria commercial production since1998. New South Wales has research. In 2002, Queensland began production. Western Australia licensed crops in 2004.

AUSTRIA has a hemp industry including production of hemp seed oil, medicinals and Hanf magazine.

CANADA started to license research crops in 1994. In addition to crops for fiber, one seed crop was licensed in 1995. Many acres were planted in 1997. Licenses for commercial agriculture saw thousands of acres planted in 1998. 30,000 acres were planted in 1999. In 2000, due to speculative investing, 12,250 acres were sown. In 2001, 92 farmers grew 3,250 acres. A number of Canadian farmers are now growing organically-certified hemp crops (6,000 acres in 2003 and 8,500 acres in 2004, yielding almost four million pounds of seed).

CHINA is the largest exporter of hemp textiles. The fabrics are of excellent quality. Medium density fiber board is also now available. The Chinese word for hemp is "ma."

DENMARK planted its first modern hemp trial crops in 1997. The country is committed to utilizing organic methods.

FINLAND had a resurgence of hemp in 1995 with several small test plots. A seed variety for northern climates was developed called Finola, previously know by the breeder code "FIN-314." In 2003, Finola was accepted to the EU list of subsidized hemp cultivars. Hemp has never been prohibited in Finland. The Finnish word for hemp is "hamppu."

FRANCE has never prohibited hemp and harvested 10,000 tons of fiber in 1994. France is a source of low-THC-producing hemp seed for other countries. France exports high quality hemp oil to the U.S. The French word for hemp is "chanvre."

GERMANY banned hemp in 1982, but research began again in 1992, and many technologies and products are now being developed, as the ban was lifted on growing hemp in November, 1995. Food, clothes and paper are also being made from imported raw materials. Mercedes and BMW use hemp fiber for composites in door panels, dashboards, etc. The German word for hemp is "hanf."

GREAT BRITAIN lifted hemp prohibition in 1993. Animal bedding, paper and textiles markets have been developed. A government grant was given to develop new markets for natural fibers. 4,000 acres were grown in 1994. Subsidies of 230 British pounds per acre are given by the government to farmers for growing hemp.

HUNGARY is rebuilding their hemp industry, and is one of the biggest exporters of hemp cordage, rugs and fabric to the U.S. They also export hemp seed, paper and fiberboard. The Hungarian word for hemp is "kender."

INDIA has stands of naturalized Cannabis and uses it for cordage, textiles and seed.

ITALY has invested in the resurgence of hemp, especially for textile production. 1,000 acres were planted for fiber in 2002. Giorgio Armani grows its own hemp for specialized textiles.

JAPAN has a rich religious tradition involving hemp, and custom requires that the Emperor and Shinto priests wear hemp garments in certain ceremonies, so there are small plots maintained for these purposes. Traditional spice mixes also include hemp seed. Japan supports a thriving retail market for a variety of hemp products. The Japanese word for hemp is "asa."

NETHERLANDS is conducting a four-year study to evaluate and test hemp for paper, and is developing specialized processing equipment. Seed breeders are developing new strains of low-THC varieties. The Dutch word for hemp is "hennep."

NEW ZEALAND started hemp trials in 2001. Various cultivars are being planted in the north and south islands.

POLAND currently grows hemp for fabric and cordage and manufactures hemp particle board. They have demonstrated the benefits of using hemp to cleanse soils contaminated by heavy metals. The Polish word for hemp is "konopij."

ROMANIA is the largest commercial producer of hemp in Europe. 1993 acreage was 40,000 acres. Some of it is exported to Hungary for processing. They also export hemp to Western Europe and the U.S. The Romanian word for hemp is "cinepa."

RUSSIA maintains the largest hemp germplasm collection in the world at the N.I. Vavilov Scientific Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) in St. Petersburg. They are in need of funding to maintain and support the collection. The Russian word for hemp is "konoplya."

SLOVENIA grows hemp and manufactures currency paper.

SPAIN has never prohibited hemp, produces rope and textiles, and exports hemp pulp for paper. The Spanish word for hemp is "cañamo."

SWITZERLAND is a producer of hemp and hosts one of the largest hemp trade events, Cannatrade.

TURKEY has grown hemp for 2,800 years for rope, caulking, birdseed, paper and fuel. The Turkish word for hemp is "kendir."

UKRAINE, EGYPT, KOREA, PORTUGAL and THAILAND also produce hemp.

UNITED STATES granted the first hemp permit in over 40 years to Hawaii for an experimental quarter-acre plot in 1999. The license was renewed, but the project has since been closed due to DEA stalling tactics and related funding problems. Importers and manufacturers have thrived using imported raw materials. 22 states have introduced legislation, including VT, HI, ND, MT, MN, IL, VA, NM, CA, AR, KY, MD, WV and ME, addressing support, research or cultivation with bills or resolutions. The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) has endorsed industrial hemp for years.

Nutritional Analysis of Hemp Seed and Hemp Oil
Data courtesy of Ohio Hempery

Moisture                                   5.7%
Fat                                            30%
Protein                                     (Nx6.25) 22.5%
Ash                                            5.9%
Energy                                      503 Calories/100g
Carbohydrates                         35.8%
Carotene (Vit. A)                     16,800 IU/lb
Thiamine (B1)                          0.9 mg/100g
Riboflavin (B2)                         1.1 mg/lOOg
Pyridoxine (B6)                        0.3 mg/lOOg
Niacin (B3)                               2.5 mg/lOOg
Vitamin C                                 1.4 mg/100g
Vitamin D                                 <10 IU/100g
Vitamin E                                  3 mg/100g
Insoluble Dietary Fiber            32.1%
Soluble Dietaly Fiber               3.0%
Total Dietary Fiber                   35.1%

Moisture                                   19%
Vitamin A                                 8,700 IU/lb.
Vitamin E                                 <1 mg /100g
Phosphatides                          0.03%
Chlorophyll                               6 ppm
Fat Stability                             AOM 5 hours
Free Fatty Acid                       0.94%
Insoluble Matter                       0.01%
lodine Value                            166.5
Peroxide Value                       7.0 meg/kg
Saponification Value              192.8
Specific Gravity                       0.9295 at 20 C
Unsaponifiable Matter            0.28%
Smoke Point                           165 C
Flash Point                              141 C
Melting Point                           (-8 C)

Element ppm
Calcium                                   1680.0
Chromium                               0.65
Copper                                    12.0
lodine                                       0.84
Iron                                           1789.0
Magnesium                             6059.0
Phosphorus                             8302.0
Potassium                               6170.0
Sodium                                    22.0

Palmitic Acid C                             16:0 6.1%
Palmitoleic Acid C                        16:1 0.3%
Heptadecanoic Acid C                 17:0 0.2%
Stearic Acid C                               18:1 2.1%
Oleic Acid C                                   18:1 12.0%
Linoleic Acid (LA) C                      18:2 56.9%*
Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) C 18:3 1.7%**
Linolenic Acid (LNA) C                 18.3 18.9%*
Arachidic Acid C                            20:0 0.5%
Eicosenoic Acid C                         20:1 0.3%
Behenic Acid C                              22:0 0.3%
Erucic Acid C                                 22:1 0.2%
Lignoceric Acid C                          24:0 0.3%
Nervonic Acid C                             24:1 0.2%

* Essential Fatty Acid (EFA). This 1:3 LNA:LA ratio is called "the optimum balance" by Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of the book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, an authoritative book on edible oils and fats.

Hemp seed is nutritious and contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is a good source of dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug (learn more at TestPledge.com).

Hemp Seed

A nutritional analysis of hemp seed is impressive. Compared to flax and soy, hemp is more biologically compatible with the human body. Many people have trouble digesting soy products due to the oligosaccharide content, which can cause gas and stomach upsets. Ground flaxseed releases cyanide gas because of the presence of cyanogenic diglycosides. Hemp does not create these problems.

Although a valuable source of fibre, proteins and Essential Fatty Acids (Omegas 3 and 6), hemp is by no means a complete food. There is nothing on this Earth that is, but when used as part of a holistic lifestyle, with a diet high in leafy green vegetables and fresh fruit, you will radiate good health.

The seed of the hemp plant is a small, soft oily nut, surrounded by a thin transparent inner layer and a hard shell. The hemp seed vaguely resembles the seed of other cultivated grains, such as wheat and rye. While raw whole seeds contain the highest percentage of fragile oils and beneficial nutrients, according to current law, in North America raw whole seeds sold must be sterilized or the hull removed to prevent sprouting.

Thanks to recent processing technology, the husk can be removed to reveal the pure, nutritionally-dense hemp nut. The soft nut meat is the most useable part of the hemp seed and a versatile ingredient in many recipes. Store hemp nut in the refrigerator. Whole hemp seeds still have their place; when toasted they are a tasty, crunchy snack.

The Food Grade Hemp Seed Oil is my preferred way of taking a nutritional dose of Omegas 3, 6, 9 and GLA; health professionals often recommend hemp oil over other oils for reducing symptoms of eczema, cardiovascular, and the menopause. I also recommend hemp oil as it tastes great, unless you live in Australia, where it is the last western country to legalise hemp oil (2006).

To get the most out of hemp oil, ensure the product is fresh, stored in a cool (refrigerator) dark place (an opaque bottle is fine) and not heated (add at the end of any cooking) to ensure the fragile omega-3 and omega-6 content is not spoiled. Hemp oil is best not used in cooking, but as an edible nutritional oil. Production of hemp oil is usually carried out in a hydraulic screw press with a maximum heat of 45º C (110ºF). Lower temperatures produce nutty, hazy oil. Higher temperatures produce darker, greener oil. More high-tech methods of producing oil include super critical fluid extraction (using carbon dioxide). Such methods are designed to efficiently extract the oil from the seed, without using petro-chemicals and ensuring a safe, low heat. Hexane extraction is used for non-food grade hemp oil, often used for paints.

Hemp oil is best when unrefined as processing diminishes the nutritional value by de-naturing the essential fatty acids (EFAs). The best test for the quality of any oil is the taste test. It is easy to differentiate between the rancid, scratchy taste of poor quality oil and the smooth, nutty taste of superior oil.

Hemp oil contains mostly the gamma form of vitamin E, a natural anti-oxidant that keeps the oil fresh. “Nature does provide”, but not necessarily for mass production and transportation. Buy fresh, and when possible, locally cold-pressed oil. Better still, press it yourself from fresh whole or hemp nut. Keep hemp oil in a dark glass bottle, in the refrigerator.

The Hemp Seed Protein - Superior Plant Protein

The Hemp Seed contains more than 22% COMPLETE PROTEINS, which is highly digestible due to its globulin form, as edestin and albumin. Edestin is a superior type of plant protein, similar to protein found in the human body, and perfectly suited to the body's cellular needs. Hemp contains the highest percentage of globulin protein found in any plant. It is important to note that protein can become denatured if heated above 115º C (239º F) for more than a few minutes, making it insoluble and less digestible.

Edestin proteins are forerunners to hormones, haemoglobin (which transports oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood), enzymes (which control many biochemical reactions), and antibodies (which fight off invading bacteria, viruses and toxins). Edestin also assists in suppressing symptoms of sickness and disease by increasing the body’s own defense systems.

Hemp seed contains good quantities of arginine and histidine; both are important for growth during childhood. Hemp protein also has the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are needed for proper enzyme formation, as well as relatively high levels of the branched-chain amino acids that are important for the metabolism of exercising muscle.

Hemp seed contains both essential and other amino acids useful for childhood growth. In fact, hemp seed contains all eight essential amino acids, mostly in levels superior to those found in soy protein isolate or flax seed.

A 50% protein powder with Omegas 3 and 6 has been developed to take advantage of the high quality of protein and essential fats available from hemp seed. Protein Powders may be used as supplements by those requiring extra quality proteins. Powders can be added to fruit juices or smoothies. Containing essential fat and containing no carbohydrates, this product is SUPERIOR PLANT PROTEIN.

Nutritionally superior hemp protein powders are becoming available at a price competitive to other protein powders.

Hemp Seed Fibre

It has been shown that people who consume a high fibre diet lower their fat and blood cholesterol levels. High fibre diets, especially those of plant origin have also been associated with lowered risk of cancers of the breast, prostate and rectum. High intake of foods of plant origin (all of which contain some fibre) is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease such as angina, prevention of cancer and an increased life expectancy.

This is believed to be because the fibre absorbs and eliminates toxins from the body, before they do any real damage. Another benefit of a high fibre diet, one that may assist with weight control, is the feeling of fullness that follows a fibre-rich meal.

The Hemp Seed contains more than 35% dietary fibre. The highest concentration of fibre is found in the the food grade Hemp Seed Flour.

Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.

Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic.

In 1937, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act which effectively began the era of hemp prohibition. The tax and licensing regulations of the act made hemp cultivation difficult for American farmers. The chief promoter of the Tax Act, Harry Anslinger, began promoting anti-marijuana legislation around the world.

Then came World War II. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor shut off foreign supplies of "manila hemp" fiber from the Philippines. The USDA produced a film called "Hemp For Victory" to encourage U.S. farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The U.S. government formed the War Hemp Industries Department and subsidized hemp cultivation. During the war, U.S. farmers grew about a million acres of hemp across the Midwest as part of that program.

After the war ended, the government quietly shut down all the hemp processing plants and the industry faded away again.

During the period from 1937 to the late 60s, the U.S. government understood and acknowledged that industrial hemp and marijuana were distinct varieties of the Cannabis plant. Hemp was no longer officially recognized as distinct from marijuana after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. This is despite the fact that a specific exemption for hemp was included in the CSA under the definition of marijuana. The recent federal court case HIA vs DEA has re-established acknowledgement of distinct varieties of Cannabis, and supports the exemption for non-viable seed and fiber and any products made from them.

The U.S. government has published numerous reports and other documents on hemp dating back to the beginnings of our country. Below is a list of some of the documents that have been discovered:

• 1797: SECRETARY OF WAR (U.S.S. CONSTITUTION'S HEMP)
• 1810: JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (RUSSIAN HEMP CULTIVATION)
• 1827: U.S. NAVY COMMISSIONER (WATER-ROTTED HEMP)
• 1873: HEMP CULTURE IN JAPAN
• 1895: USDA (HEMP SEED)
• 1899: USDA SECRETARY (HEMP)
• 1901: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (HEMP & FLAX SEED)
• 1901: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (13 PAGE ARTICLE ON HEMP)
• 1903: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (PRINCIPAL COMMERCIAL PLANT FIBERS)
• 1909: USDA SECRETARY (FIBER INVESTIGATIONS: HEMP/FLAX)
• 1913: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (HEMP SOILS, YIELD & ECONOMICS)
• 1913: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (TESTS FOR HEMP, LIST OF PRODUCTS)
• 1916: USDA BULLETIN 404 (HEMP HURDS AS A PAPER-MAKING MATERIAL)
• 1917: USDA (HEMP SEED SUPPLY OF THE NATION)
• 1917: USDA (CANNABIS)
• 1927: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (HEMP VARIETIES)
• 1931: USDA LYSTER DEWEY (HEMP FIBER LOSING GROUND)
• 1943: USDA ("HEMP FOR VICTORY" DOCUMENTARY FILM)
• 1947: USDA (HEMP DAY LENGTH & FLOWERING)
• 1956: USDA (MONOECIOUS HEMP BREEDING IN THE U.S.)

These documents and many more are published online by U.S. hemp historian extraordinaire, John E. Dvorak. His "Digital Hemp History Library" is the most complete source for historical hemp documents and data anywhere.

You can also check out literary references to industrial hemp from Aesop's Fables to the present by clicking here.

A chart of hemp's uses and a concise history of hemp can be found at Hemphasis Magazine's Web site.

Top
HEMP Chronologically through History
from www.Hemphasis.net

Earliest History

10,000 BC: In Taiwan, the earliest-known hemp relic in existence.

8000 BC: In China, the earliest known cloth fabric is woven from hemp.

5500 BC: Earliest known depiction of hemp in existence from Kyushu Island, Japan

4500 BC: China: Hemp is used for rope and fishnets.

4000 BC: China uses hemp foods.

c. 3500 BC: Hemp rope was used in the construction of the pyramids because its great strength was ideal for working with large blocks of stone.

2800 BC: China makes first rope from hemp fiber.

2800 BC: Lu Shi (500 AD) mentions an Emperor who taught people to use hemp at 2800 BC.

2700 BC: China: Hemp was used for fiber, oil, and as a medicine. Examples of each were purposefully left in tombs with bodies.

1200 BC: Hemp cloth found in tomb of Pharaoh Alchanaten at El amarona. Records of apothecary form the time of Ramses III suggest hemp's use for an ophthalmic prescription.

c. 1100 BC: City of Carthage uses hemp to dominate Mediterranean Sea as hemp is used in ships, rope, and as medicine.

1000 BC: Hemp is cultivated in India.

650 BC: Hemp is mentioned in cuneiform tablets.

450 BC: Greek historian Herodus claims that "hemp garments are as fine as linen." From Asia to Afghanistan to Egypt, hemp was widely cultivated for its fiber.

c. 400 BC: Buddha was nourished with hempseed.

300 BC: A Carthaginian galley sank near Sicily was found with hemp onboard that was still identifiable after 2,300 years of salt water exposure.

200 BC: Greek Moschion wrote of hemp ropes used in the flagship Syracusi, and other ships of the fleet of Hiero II.

2nd Century BC: Roman writer Pausanaius noted hemp was grown in Elide.

100 BC: Chinese make paper (oldest surviving piece) from hemp and mulberry.

Europe (A.D.)

1st Century AD: Pliny recommends hemp from Alabanda, a city of Cairn, in Asia Minor as the best hemp.

1st Century AD: Lucius Columella writing during the time of Agustus put forward hemp cultivation methods.

70: Hemp cultivated for the first time in England. By 400, hemp was a well-established crop.

3rd Century: Sample of hemp paper with Sanskrit characters in India.

500-1000: Hemp cultivation spreads throughout Europe.

600: Germans, Franks, Vikings, etc. make paper, sails, rope, etc. from Hemp.

6th century: A hemp-reinforced bridge is built in France. The bridge actually petrified and is still strong today.

7th Century: First known mention of hemp as a medicine in work of Suskota in India.

716: Shoes are constructed from hemp.

850: Viking Ships used hemp for their sails, ropes, fishing nets, lines and caulking.

8th Century: Arabs capture Chinese craftsman and learn to make paper from hemp.

8th Century: Japan Princess Shotoku sponsored the first recorded printing in her country using hemp. Japan continued to use hemp throughout thier history. Shinto priests, and royal family wore special hempen clothes.

10th Century: A treatise on hunting by Syrian Sid Mohammed El Mangali records hemp's use for game netting, and hemp seeds for bird lime. Hemp was used in these times in the mid-east as food, lamp oil, paper and medicine.

1000: Europe introduces hemp butter.

1000: The English word 'Hempe' first listed in a dictionary.

1150: Moslems use Hemp to start Europe's first paper mill. Most paper is made from hemp for next 850 years.

Middle Ages: Knights drank hemp beer.

1215: Magna Charta was printed on Hemp paper.

14-15th Century: Renaissance artists committed their masterpieces to hemp canvas.

1456: Guttenberg Bible printed on hemp paper.

1492: Hemp sails and ropes make Columbus's trip to America possible (other fibers would have decayed somewhere in mid-Atlantic).

1494: Hemp papermaking starts in England.

1535: Henry VIII passes an act stating that all landowners must sow 1/4 acre, or be fined.

1537: Hemp receives the name Cannabis Sativa, the scientific name that stands today.

1563: Queen Elizabeth I decrees that land owners with 60 acres or more must grow hemp or else face a £5 fine.

1564: King Philip of Spain follows lead of Queen Elizabeth and orders hemp to be grown throughout his Empire from modern-day Argentina to Oregon.

16th Century: Hemp has wide cultivation in Europe for its fiber and its seed, which was cooked with barley and other grains and eaten.

c. 1600: Galileo's scientific observation notes written on hemp paper.

16th-18th Century: Hemp was a major fiber crop in Russia, Europe and North America. Ropes and sails were made of hemp because of its great strength and its resistance to rotting. Hemp's other historical uses were of course paper (bibles, government documents, bank notes) and textiles (paper, canvas), but also paint, printing inks, varnishes, and building materials. Hemp was a major crop until the 1920's, supplying the world with its main supply of food and fiber (80% of clothing was made from Hemp).

17th Century: Dutch Masters, such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt, painted on hemp canvas. In fact the word canvas derives from the word "cannabis".

1807: Napoleon signs a Treaty with Russia, which cuts off all legal Russian hemp trade with Britain. Then The Czar refuses to enforce the Treaty and turns a blind eye to Britain's illegal trade in Hemp.

1812 -- 24th June: Napoleon invades Russia aiming to put an end to Britain's main supply of Hemp. By the end of the year the Russian winter and army had destroyed most of Napoleon's invading forces. The Royal Navy depended on the Russian hemp to stay afloat during their war with the U.S., the War of 1812.

The Americas

1545: Hemp was introduced into Chile, then in 1554 to Peru.

1606: French Botanist Louis Hebert planted the first hemp crop in North America in Port Royal, Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia).

1611: British start cultivating hemp in Virginia.

1631: Hemp used for bartering throughout American Colonies.

1619: It became illegal in Jamestown, Virginia not to grow hemp because it was such a vital resource. Massachusetts and Connecticut passed similar laws in 1631, and 1632.

17-18th Century: Hemp was legal tender in most of the Americas. It was even used to pay taxes, to encourage farmers to grow more, to ensure America's independence.

1715, 1726 and 1730: Pro-hemp acts were signed to cut European imports, to help the struggling colonies, who spun hemp cloth, and printed bibles and maps on hemp paper, drive for self-sufficiency.

1720 - 1870: Every township in Lancaster County Pennsylvania grew hemp, flourishing just before the Revolution. There were more than 100 mills that processed hemp fiber.

1775: Hemp was first grown in Kentucky.

18th Century: Benjamin Franklin started the first Hemp paper mill. This allowed America to have its own supply of paper (not from England) for the colonial press. Thomas Paine's patriotic literature, which helped spark the revolution, was printed on hemp.

1776: Declaration of Independence drafted on Hemp paper. The U.S. Constitution was also printed on hemp paper fourteen years later.

18th Century: Betsy Ross sews first American flag out of hemp.

1791: President Washington sets duties on Hemp to encourage domestic industry. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations.

Make the most of the hemp seed. Sow it everywhere. --George Washington

Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and prosperity of the nation. -- Thomas Jefferson

1801: Canada, on behalf of the King of England, distributed hemp seed free to farmers.

19th Century: Hemp became the first crop to be subsidized in Canada.

1802: Two extensive ropewalks were built in Lexington Kentucky. There was also announced a machine that could break "eight thousand weight of hemp per day" a huge quantity for the time.

1812: War of: Sailors outfitted and propelled the U.S. frigate Constitution "Old Ironsides" with more than 60 tons of hempen rope and sail.

Early 19th Century: The advent of steam and oil powered ships reduced demand for hempen rigging.

19th Century: Center of hemp production shifted to the Midwest

1835: Hemp spreads to Missouri. Hemp grown at Californian missions.

1850: The United States Census counted 8,327 hemp plantations growing it for cloth, canvas, and other necessities.

After 1850: Hemp lost ground to cheaper products made of cotton, jute, sisal and petroleum. Hemp was processed by hand, which was very labor intensive and costly, not lending itself towards modern commercial production.

1863: Abraham Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation under light of hemp oil lamp.

1875: Hemp is introduced to Champaign IL, Minnesota by 1880, Nebraska by 1887, California by 1912, and Wisconsin and Iowa by the early 1920s.

Late 19th Century: The American west was tamed with hemp lassos and hemp canvas covered wagons. Hemp oil was used extensively in lighting oil, paints, and varnishes.

Late 19th & early 20th centuries: Increasing labor costs encouraged a gradual shift away from hemp to cotton, jute, and tropical fibers which were less labor intensive. Hemp was used only for cordage and specialty products like birdseed and varnish.

1892: Rudolph Diesel invented diesel engine, intended especially for vegetable and seed oils.

1915: California outlaws Cannabis.

1916: Recognizing that timber supplies are finite, USDA Bulletin 404 calls for new program of expansion of Hemp to replace uses of timber by industry.

1917: American George W. Schlichten patented a new machine for separating the fiber from the internal woody core ("hurds"), reducing labor costs by over 90% and increasing fiber yield by 600%. That, combined with new technology to fashion paper and plastics from hemp-derived cellulose, gradually breathed new life into the industry.

1919: Texas outlaws cannabis.

1920-1940: Economic power is consolidated in hands of small number of steel, oil and munitions companies, such as Dupont, which became the US's primary munitions manufacturer. Dupont developed and patented fuel additives such as tetraethyl lead and other petroleum based products like nylon, cellophane and plastics during this time. Mexican rebels seize prime timberland from land belonging to newspaper magnate, paper and timber baron, William Randolph Hearst.

1920-1970: Oil Barons Rockefeller, Standard Oil, and Rothschild of Shell, etc., realized the possibilities of Henry Ford's vision of cheap methanol fuel, so they kept oil prices at between one dollar and four dollars a barrel (almost 42 gallons in a barrel), so that no other energy source could compete with it, until 1970, after all competition was erased, when the price of oil jumped to almost $40/barrol over the next 10 years.

1931: Andrew Mellon, The Treasury Secretary, and Head of Bank of Pittsburgh, which loaned Dupont 80% of its money, appoints his niece's husband, Harry J. Anslinger, to head newly formed Federal Bureau of Narcotics (later becoming the DEA).

1930s: Following action by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and a campaign by William Randolph Hearst, propaganda is created against hemp from companies with vested interest in the new petroleum-based synthetic textiles. Even though hemp reinvented itself, thanks to new technology that eased processing and expanded its use, the timber (Hearst) and oil interests (Dupont, Anslinger, Mellon) crushed competition from plant-based cellulose by demonizing marijuana, and paralleling its use to Mexican immigrants and later Black jazz musicians. The effects of marijuana are demonized with such movies as "Marijuana: assassin of youth," Devil's weed," and "Reefer Madness." Throughout this assault hemp's link to marijuana is exaggerated.

1937: DuPont Corporation patents processes for making plastics from oil and coal. The Marijuana Tax Act is passed, a prohibitive tax on hemp in the USA, effectively destroying the industry. Anslinger testifies to congress that 'Marijuana' is the most violence causing drug known to man. The objections by the American Medical Association (The AMA only realized that 'Marijuana' was in fact Cannabis or Hemp two days before the start of hearing) and the National Oil Seed Institute are rejected.

1937 - late 60s: US government understood and acknowledged that Industrial Hemp and marijuana were not the same plant.

1938: Popular Mechanics magazine, nearly at the same time as the Marijuana tax act goes into effect, touts hemp as first "billion dollar crop" and lists over 25,000 uses.

In 1938: Canada prohibits marijuana, and thus hemp production, under the Opium and Narcotics Control Act.

1940: World production of hemp peaked at about 832,000 tons of fiber.

1941: Popular Mechanics Magazine reveals details of Henry Ford's plastic car made using hemp and fueled from hemp. Henry Ford continued to illegally grow hemp for some years after the Federal ban, hoping to become independent of the petroleum industry.

1941-1945: Hemp for Victory

During World War II, Japan cut off our supplies of vital hemp and coarse fibers. The hemp was needed for making, among other things, rope, webbing, and canvas, to be used on navy ships. So a program was started to grow hemp for military use under the banner of "Hemp For Victory". After the war, licenses were subsequently revoked; concurrent with the last hemp crops being grown in the U.K.

The U. S. Department of Agriculture released an educational film called "Hemp for Victory", which showed farmers how to grow and harvest industrial hemp. Hemp harvesting machinery was made available at low or no cost. From 1942 to 1945, farmers who agreed to grow hemp were waived from serving in the military, along with their sons; that's how vitally important hemp was to America during World War II. The fields of hemp were termed victory gardens, as were the backyard vegetable gardens also urged by the government.

1942: Patriotic farmers plant 36,000 acres of seed hemp, an increase of several thousand percent from the previous year.

1943: Both the US and German governments urge their patriotic farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The US shows farmers a short film - 'Hemp for Victory' which the government later pretends never existed. The United States government has published numerous reports and other documents on hemp dating back to the beginnings of our country.

1945: The war ends and so does "Hemp for Victory". Feral hemp, "ditch weed", still lines the back roads, waterways, and irrigation ditches of most Midwestern states, 60 years descended from "Hemp for Victory!"

1961: UN treaty allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp.

1968: The last legal hemp crop is grown in Minnesota

1970: The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 recognizes industrial hemp as marijuana, despite the fact that a specific exemption for hemp was included in the CSA under the definition of marijuana. "Marijuana Transfer Tax" declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

1971: In Canada, cannabis, thus industrial hemp, became caught up in the politics of the Opiate laws and became classed as a restricted plant under the misuse of drugs act.

1970s: 'Spinning Jenny' is invented and cotton prices fall dramatically, making hemp's demise in the Americas complete.

Early 1990s: Global hemp production sank to its lowest level.

Hemp's Revival

1991: Hempcore become the first British company to obtain a license to grow hemp.

Since 1992: France, the Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Spain, and Germany have passed legislation allowing for the commercial cultivation of low-THC hemp. In fact, the E.U. has recently been promoting hemp cultivation by providing subsidies of approximately $1400 per hectare to grow hemp.

1992: 124,000 tonnes of hemp fiber are produced by mainly India, China, Russia, Korea and Romania, countries where the cultivation of hemp has never been prohibited.

1994: One license granted to Canadian company, Hempline Inc., to grow low-THC hemp under the strict supervision of the authorities, for research purposes only. President Clinton included hemp as a strategic food source in an executive order.

1995: In England, The Cornish Hemp Company Ltd was set up to produce hemp and set up the infrastructure to realize the current potential for industry.

1996: The American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest farming organization in the United States with 4.6 million members, passed a resolution unanimously to research hemp and grow test plots.

1998: March: Canada passes proposed regulations, and as a result hemp can be grown commercially in Canada for the first time in sixty years.

1998: The Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota legalized hemp.

1998: While running for governor, Jesse Ventura announces his support for industrial hemp. Within weeks Venturaís numbers jump from 7% to 38%.

1999: 14 States introduced legislation that endorsed the commercialization of industrial hemp with varying success. Hawaii gets permit from DEA to plant an industrial hemp test field.

2000-2002: Alex White Plume grows hemp on Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux reservation in SD and the DEA destroy the crops near harvest time, not making any arrests, thereby distinguishing between marijuana and hemp.

Nov. 2000: Alex White Plume and his family receive hemp from the Kentucky Hemp Growers to replace the hemp destroyed in the two years prior by the DEA.

2001: "Hemp car" crosses North America using hemp bio-diesel fuel, stops in Watertown SD.

Oct. 9, 2001: DEA arbitrarily bans all hemp foods in order to disrupt the domestic market. Hemp importers and their suppliers sue. Supreme Court temporarily injoins implementation of DEA's unilateral proclamation. Still in court.

May 2002: South Dakota becomes first state to get the issue of industrial hemp farming on the state ballot. A poll indicates that 85% of registered South Dakotans favor legalizing industrial hemp.

Aug 2002: Alex White Plume becomes first farmer since 1968 to cultivate and sell a hemp crop in the United States. The crop is bought by Madison Hemp & Flax, a Kentucj.

Nov 2002: So. Dak. voters reject industrial hemp, but 38% vote for it. Hemp wins on Indian reservations.

Feb. 2004: 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals holds that DEA can not regulate hemp foods.

Currently: Hawaii's, West Virginia's, Minnesota's, Montana's, and North Dakota's legislatures have passed laws similar to Initiated Measure 1 in So. Dak., but the federal government refuses to allow them to grow hemp. Most hemp materials are imported from China, Hungary, and now Canada.

Resources for Hemp Chronology

Abel, Ernest. Marijuana, The First 12,000 Years (Plenum Press, New York 1980)

Michaux, Andre, Travels to the West of the Alleghenies, 1805

Moore, Brent. A study of the past, the present and future of the hemp industry in Kentucky, 1905

Robinson, Bob, "Dr. Hemp", experimenter at U. of MN 1960-1968

Roulac, John: Hemp Horizons

Schoenrock Ruth, Hemp in Minnesota During the Wartime Emergency,1966

Stratford, Peter. Psychedelics Encyclopaedia (ISBN 0-9114171-51-8)

Yearbook of the Dept of Agriculture, 1913

US Dept of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bulletin #153, 1909

Top

Reality: The history of federal drug laws clearly shows that at one time the U.S. government understood and accepted the distinction between hemp and marijuana.

Reality: The THC levels in Industrial Hemp are so low that no one could get high from smoking it. Moreover, hemp contains a relatively high percentage of another cannabinoid, CBD, that actually blocks the marijuana high. Hemp, it turns out, is not only not marijuana; it could be called "anti-marijuana".

Myth: Even though THC levels are low in hemp, the THC can be extracted and concentrated to produce a powerful drug.

Reality: Extracting THC from Industrial Hemp and further refining it to eliminate the preponderance of CBD would require such an expensive, hazardous, and time-consuming process that it is extremely unlikely anyone would ever attempt it, rather than simply obtaining high-THC marijuana instead.

Reality: Industrial Hemp is grown quite differently from marijuana. Moreover, it is harvested at a different time than marijuana. Finally, cross-pollination between hemp plants and marijuana plants would significantly reduce the potency of the marijuana plant.

Myth: Legalizing hemp while continuing the prohibition on marijuana would burden local police forces.

Reality: In countries where hemp is grown as an agricultural crop, the police have experienced no such burdens.

Reality: Feral hemp, or ditchweed, is a remnant of the Industrial Hemp once grown on more than 400,000 acres by US farmers. It contains extremely low levels of THC, as low as .05 percent. It has no drug value, but does offer important environmental benefits as a nesting habitat for birds. About 99 percent of the "marijuana" being eradicated by the federal government-at great public expense-is this harmless ditchweed. Might it be that the drug enforcement agencies want to convince us that ditchweed is hemp in order to protect their large eradication budgets?

Myth: Those who want to legalize Industrial Hemp are actually seeking a backdoor way to legalize marijuana.

Reality: It is true that many of the first hemp stores were started by Industrial Hemp advocates who were also in favor of legalizing marijuana. However, as the hemp industry has matured, it has come to be dominated by those who see hemp as the agricultural and industrial crop that it is, and see hemp legalization as a different issue than marijuana legalization. In any case, should we oppose a very good idea simply because some of those who support it also support other ideas with which we disagree?

Reality: Hemp oil is an increasingly popular product, used for an expanding variety of purposes. The washed Industrial Hemp seed contains no THC at all. The tiny amounts of THC contained in Industrial Hemp are in the glands of the plant itself. Sometimes, in the manufacturing process, some THC- and CBD-containing resin sticks to the seed, resulting in traces of THC in the oil that is produced. The concentration of these cannabinoids in the oil is infinitesimal. No one can get high from using Industrial Hemp oil.

Reality: It is the current refusal of the DEA and ONDCP to distinguish between an agricultural crop and a drug crop that is sending the wrong message to children.

Myth: Industrial Hemp is not economically viable, and should therefore be outlawed.

Reality: The market for Industrial Hemp products is growing rapidly. But even if it were not, when has a crop ever been outlawed simply because government agencies thought it would be unprofitable to grow?