Hemp cultivation was mandatory in the 1600′s, in fact, through most American History hemp has been a popular crop to grow. The first American Hemp law was passed in Jamestown colony, out of Virginia. The law made it illegal to not grow hemp, without exception, or be hauled off to jail… what changed so dramatically? Presently, you could, and probably would, be hauled off to jail for growing hemp anywhere. In fact, there is far more levity to grow Marijuana legally, (which contains THC compounds and is considered a drug) than its non-drug, look-alike Hemp.
Hemp was so useful, that, it was used as currency, you could even pay your taxes directly with hemp . Hemp was popular in Colonies for over 200 years-that’s a long track record, and remained so, and profitable as a crop, until hemps counterpart-cannabis sativa, was “demonized” into a recreational drug in the 1900′s.
If something is considered beneficial for hundreds of years, and was readily accepted by all , what made it go off of the range? Did the same mentality which created the era of prohibition , which only fueled the fires of alcohol as an illegal trade? If you prohibited all alcohol, you wouldn’t even be able to cook with it, so prohibition was a serious issue, there are still “dry counties” even after all this time.
The Mentality and Mood of the Times…
“Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows and look at a white woman twice.” - a quote from Harry J. Anslinger, who headed the bureau of narcotics.
I can only imagine what kind of world Harry lived in, this, McCarthyism (circa 1940-50) and prohibition (1920 to 1933); all taking place in, about the same time as, or after The Great Depression (1929 to approximately 1940). Imagine being African American in those days and not being allowed to step on a “white” mans shadow…sounds mid evil. These men created the laws out of their own imaginations, the way we “think” about hemp needs to change, if not, we will be missing, what could be one of the most useful, diverse and beneficial plants on the planet.
Henry Ford told the New york Times that fuel processed from Hemp, ethyl alcohol, was “the fuel of the future”, this happened back in 1925, In this statement, Henry Ford was reflecting the opinions of the automobile industry as well. Instead of embracing the ethyl alcohol, we have taken the other option of fossil fuels, which has brought a great deal of the pollution we have today.
“The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumach out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust – almost anything,” he said. “There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There’s enough alcohol in one year’s yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years.” – Henry Ford
Ford knew what the hemp plant could do, in fact, he made the first car body from the stiff hemp fiber, and ran the car off of ethanol created from Hemp. He also knew the value of Hemp and how it could change the economy, where it to be put to use. Other industries that competed with Hemp would have declined, and those industrial giants weren’t about to let anything stop their plans for greatness.
