Legalization of Industrial Hemp

"Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere."

---George Washington, 1794.

You can eat it, for it has great cooking versatility and even more nutritional value than

soybean foods. Doctors use its oil to boost your immune system and fight heart problems. You

can wear it, for it makes a light, long-lasting fiber that "breathes" beautifully. It even makes a

wonderful shower curtain, because it is light and -- now get this -- it does NOT mildew. You can

write on it too, for it makes one of the finest papers ever known. The "it" is not some new

miracle compound invented in the science labs of industry, but an ancient plant that is one of the

oldest cultivated crops in the world: Hemp. The first known rope was made from it. The Chinese

used it to make the first fish nets 6,500 years ago. The ancient Greeks wore hemp garments.

Thomas Jefferson raised hemp on his Virginia farm, and he drafted the Declaration of

Independence on hemp paper. Plus, this renewable resource is an environmental Godsend. It

requires very little fertilizers or pesticides to raise; it uses very little water; it produces four times

as much fiber per-acre as wood does, so it can drastically cut deforestation. Hemp is simply a

natural for our country and it can be a terrific cash-crop for America farmers. There is only one

problem with this remarkable plant: Our government outlaws it. Hemp should be legalized for

economical and environmental purposes.

Industrial hemp means those parts of the Cannabis sativa plant which contain less than 1.00% tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). THC is the psychoactive chemical found in Cannabis sativa. Industrial hemp is not to be confused with marijuana. Marijuana comes from the flowers of the Cannabis sativa plant and contains more than 1.00% THC (Mississippi Potency). Industrial hemp has no psychoactive properties.

Industrial hemp can be grown as a profitable, high-quality fiber crop without producing marijuana. Registered seed varieties that produce hemp containing less than 0.3% THC even in the flowers are available throughout Europe (British Farmers). Farmers in the European Community have been growing hemp for over 20 years without any problems related to marijuana (British Farmers).

Industrial hemp is grown as a profitable fiber crop in many countries (Rosentha, Ed). Industrial hemp crops have been subsidized in the European Community since before 1988.5 In 1993, England began to produce hemp for fiber (British Farmers). In 1994, Canada harvested its first crop of industrial hemp after more than 50 years of prohibition (Turner, Craig). The re-emerging world hemp industry is growing steadily, and farmers are excited and enthusiastic about the potential of hemp crops.

Hemp has been valued throughout this country's history as an important raw material. Until the late 1800s, almost all of our cloth was made from hemp, and virtually all of our paper was made from hemp rags (Herer, Jack). From 1631 to the early 1800s, hemp was such a valued commodity that it was considered legal tender (money) (Herer, Jack). Regions of Kentucky and Wisconsin were among the largest hemp producers (Hemp Victory).

Hemp production seemed destined to increase dramatically in the 1930s, when an invention called the decorticator began getting wide attention (Popular Mechanics 240). The decorticator strips the hemp fiber from the stalk. This had been the most labor-intensive and expensive part of producing hemp (Popular Mechanics 238). The decorticator was to hemp what the cotton gin was to cotton. The invention prompted a 1937 Popular Mechanics magazine to call hemp the "New Billion Dollar Crop" (Popular Mechanics 238) and Mechanical Engineering magazine to call it "The Most Desirable Crop That Can Be Grown" (Lower 112). However, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act dealt a fatal blow to the promising hemp fiber industry. The Act established a prohibitive tax on hemp manufacturers and distributors as well as on hemp transactions (United States Congress). It was modeled after a similar tax that was enacted to prohibit machine guns. The transfer tax of $1.00/ounce effectively ended all hemp production in the United States by making commerce in hemp prohibitively expensive.

Restrictions on hemp production were eased briefly in the United States during World War II when Japan invaded the Philippines, cutting off the supply of abaca (Manila hemp) (Hesington 77). The U.S. Navy desperately needed a domestic supply of hemp to provide the lines and rigging for its fleet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers to produce hemp for the war effort by distributing a film called "Hemp for Victory!" (Hemp Victory).

After World War II, the hemp industry declined as the federal government again began to restrict hemp production (Brecher 419). Farmers continued to produce hemp on a limited scale until the 1950s (Miller 239). However, legislation eventually came to treat industrial hemp crops as marijuana (drug) crops, and hemp fiber production was no longer promoted. Currently, hemp production is treated as a felony in the United States because it is assumed that all hemp crops will produce marijuana. With the advent of industrial hemp and low-THC seed varieties, this is no longer true. Hemp can now be grown as a profitable fiber crop in the United States with absolutely no danger of increasing marijuana use.

Hemp consists of three principal raw materials: fiber, seeds, and hurds. Hemp is principally grown for the bast fiber it produces from its stalk. However, the seeds and hurds are

also important economically.

The hemp stalk is composed of 20% fiber (Lower 112). Hemp is the strongest natural fiber in the world (Lower 112). It is valued for its strength and durability when used for textiles, cordage, and paper.

The fiber can be made into any type of cloth, from the finest linen to the coarsest canvas (Popular Mechanics 239). The word canvas comes from the Arabic word for hemp (Hemp Victory). Cloth made from hemp fiber is stronger, warmer, more durable, more absorbent, and softer than cotton (Herer 7). To show how many products can be produced from hemp here is a list from A to Z: agrofiber composites, awnings, bio-plastics, building blocks, candy, bio-degradable cellophane, detergents, dynamite, erasers, erosion control, fire hoses, flooring, geotextiles, glues, hammacks, harnaces, ice cream, insulation materials, jackets, jeans, lip blams, lubricants, medicines, moisturizer, natural pesticides, newsprints, oil-spill absorbants, overalls, paint, parachutes, quilts, quishe, retaining walls, roofing materials, shampoos, shoes, technical fiber paper, toys, umbrellas, upholstery, varnishes, vests, wedding gowns, weed suppression, x-ray film, xylophones, yardsticks, yarns, zippers, zithers (Roulac).

Hemp rope has been valued throughout history for its superior strength and resistance to deterioration in salt or fresh water. The Chinese have been using hemp for ropes and fish nets since 4500 B.C., over 5000 thousand years and were the first to develop a paper industry for hemp scrolls (Lower 7).

Paper made from hemp is known as the "archivist's perfect paper" because it lasts much longer than tree pulp paper and does not harden, crack, yellow, or crumble with age (Conrad 24). Hemp fiber can be used to make every grade of paper (Popular Mechanics 240).

The hemp stalk is composed of 80% hurds (Lower 113). The hurds are the woody inner portion of the hemp stalk that are separated from the hemp fiber (Dewey, Lyster). The hurds are 50% - 77% cellulose, (Popular Mechanics 240) which makes them ideal for use in paper and plastic products.

One acre of hemp hurds can make as much pulp for paper as four acres of trees (Dewey, Lyster). Hemp paper can be whitened without producing dioxins and lasts much longer than paper made from trees (Dewey, Lyster).

Hemp hurds can be pressed and injected with phenolic resin to make a particle board that is resistant to fire and water (Rosentha, Craig). The board also makes a good insulation and thermal barrier (Rosentha, Craig). Plastics were first made from plant cellulose (i.e., cellophane, celluloid) (Dupont). The hemp hurd is one of the richest sources of plant cellulose, (Popular Mechanics 238) a building block of modern industry.

Plastics made from hemp instead of petroleum would be biodegradable (Conrad 24). The hurds make an excellent animal bedding because they absorb more liquid and compost faster than wood shavings (Roseenthal, England 205)

The hemp seed is composed of two raw materials: the seed oil and the seed cake. The hemp seed is composed of 30% oil (Wirshafter 205). Hemp seed oil contains over 70% cholesterol-fighting essential fatty acids, the highest of any seed oil (Erasmus 231. Hemp seed oil can be chemically combined easily with 15% methanol to provide a premium diesel fuel substitute (Popular Mechanics). This hemp bio-diesel fuel burns 70% cleaner than petroleum diesel in soot and particulate pollution (Lower 113). Paints and varnishes. Hemp seed oil dries quickly and leaves a thin elastic film (Hemp 520). Hemp seed oil makes an ideal all-purpose lubricant (Conrad 24). The seed cake is the solid part of the seeds that remains after the oil is expelled. Hemp seed cake makes a nutritional, high-protein supplement to wheat flour. It contains 25% protein (Erasmus 231). The whole hemp seed contains 20% high-quality digestible complete protein (Wirshafter 205). The hemp seed can be eaten as a nutritious snack, like sunflower seeds. Birds like hemp seed because of its nourishing, oily content (McKenny 64). A hemp crop could be sold for at least $860 per acre. Since a hemp crop produces three different raw materials each year, the total value of hemp far exceeds other crops grown for a single material.

(http://www.hemptech.com/gfx/farming.jpg)

The charts on the following pages compares yields of hemp and comparable crops. Since there are currently no domestic hemp crops being sold in the United States, the prices for comparable crops were used to estimate the prices for domestic hemp fiber, hurds, and seed.

Hemp fiber is compared to cotton for textile production. Hemp hurds are compared to wood chip prices and Douglas fir yield for paper production. Hemp seed is compared to soybeans for oil seed production. Production costs were not factored into this estimate, although hemp would be considerably less expensive to produce than cotton.

Estimated Value of a Hemp Crop (Miller)

Yield X Price = Value/Acre

Fiber: 1,100 lbs./acre $.60/lb. (cotton) $660.00

Hurds: 2.5 tons/acre $50/ton (wood chips) $125.00

Seed: 15 bu./acre $5/bu. (soybean) $75.00

Hemp Total Value/Acre $860.00

Value of Comparable Crops (Cotton, soybean...)

Total

Yield X Price = Value/Acre

Cotton 578 lbs./acre $.60/lb. $347.00

Douglas fir 1 ton/acre $50/ton $50.00

Soybeans 34 bu./acre $5/bu. $170.00

The hemp yields are based on historical and limited current figures. These are conservative estimates; the actual yields will probably be 2 to 3 times higher. Hemp prohibition has stifled contemporary research in the field of hemp production. Hemp is easy to grow (Popular Mechanics 239). Hemp is an annual herbaceous crop that grows from 5 to 16 feet tall in a season of four months (Robinson, B.B.). It will grow in all 50 states (Popular Mechanics 239). It is a good rotation crop (Dewey 1913). Hemp has long roots that penetrate and break the soil to leave it in perfect condition for the next crop (Popular Mechanics 239). Production costs for hemp would be considerably lower than cotton's. Herbicides are not needed because fiber hemp is sown thickly and chokes out competing weeds (Lower 113). Pesticide use is limited because hemp has few insect enemies (Dewey 1913). Hundreds of entrepreneurs are now selling imported hemp products. However, they are stifled by high prices and uncertain availability since all of the hemp is imported from overseas. Demand for hemp products in the U.S. is enormous. Hemp clothing and accessories have become a fashion trend (Conrad, Chris). Tree-free hemp paper is also in demand (Miller 238). The market has a potential of as much as $15 to $30 billion a year (Turner, Craig).

Hemp production in would create new farming opportunities and make farmers competitive in the global market against countries that already grow hemp for fiber. It would also create thousands of processing and manufacturing jobs in such industries as textiles, plastics, pulp paper, energy, timber, construction, and food.. The retail market for tree-free paper and building materials, for biodegradable plastics, for soft and durable natural clothing, and for other hemp products has huge potential. Hemp will be a profitable crop for farmers because of the volume of hemp each crop produces, the number of different products that can be made from hemp, and the demand for hemp products. Not only is hemp profitable, but it is a desirable crop to grow for other reasons. Hemp is a renewable and sustainable resource. It will help shift our economy away from dwindling non-renewable petroleum resources and help preserve our forest resources. Hemp is the strongest natural fiber (Lower 113). It has an extremely high cellulose content (Popular Mechanics 240). It is biodegradable (Miller 238). It requires no herbicides to grow (Miller 237). It can be used to make paper, cloth, rope, particle board, plastic, paint, varnishes, linoleum, dynamite, fuel, food, and cardboard. It will create new jobs and make our country competitive with other countries. It is the fiber of the 1990s.

"Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which

required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral

products in the annual growth of the fields? I know from experience that many of the raw

materials of industry which are today stripped from the forests and the mines can be obtained

from the annual crops grown on the farms... industrialization of crops will also have the advantage

of making a considerable saving to the manufacturer who learns how to accomplish it... the best

possible working plan for any man in our civilization is to have one foot on the soil and the other

in industry."

-- Henry Ford

A few examples of products made from Hemp:

Works Cited

Brecher, Edward M. Licit and Illicit Drugs: A Consumers Union Report. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1972.

"British Farmers to Grow Cannabis Legally." Reuter's Press February 18, 1993.

Conrad, Chris. Hemp: Life Line to the Future. Los Angeles: Creative Xpressinons Publications, 1993.

Cotton, soybean, wheat and corn figures come from: Cost of production (1987), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Wood chip figures come from: Rosenthal, Ed. Hemp Today. Oakland Ca: Quick American Archives, 1994. Douglas fir figures come from: Conde, William. Wood Fiber Demand Can Be Met with Hemp Fiber. Harrisburg, OR: C&S Specialty Builders, 1994.

Dewey, Lyster H. and Merrill, Jason L. "Hemp Hurds as Paper-Making Material", Bulletin No. 404, U.S. Department of Agriculture, October 14, 1916.

"Dupont". American Peoples Encyclopedia, 1953

Erasmus, Udo. Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition. Vancover: Alive Books 1991.

"Hemp." Merit Student's Encyclopedia. New York: MacMillian Educational Company, 1982.

Hemp for Victory. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1942

Herner, Jack The Emperor Wears No Cloths: The Authoritative Historical Record of the Cannabis Plant. Van Nuys, Ca: Hemp Publishing, 1992.

Hesington, Robert. "It's a Hemp Year." Business Week 24 April 1943.

Lower, George A. "Flax and Hemp: From the Seed to the Loom." Mechanical Engineering 26 February 1937.

McKenny, M. Birds in the Garden and How to Attract Them. New York: Reynall and Hitchcock, 1939.

Miller, Richard Lawrence. Hemp as a Crop for Missouri Farmers: Markets, Economics, Cultivation, and Law. Report to Agricultural Task Force, Missouri House of Representatives, Summer 1991.

"Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project, Report #50." Nartional Institute for Drug Abuse, University of Mississippi. June 30, 1994. February 25 16:03:55 1998.

"New Billion-Dollar Crops." Popular Mechanics February 1938.

Robinson, B.B. "Hemp." Farmers' Bulletin No. 1935, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1943 edition and 1952 revised edition.

Rosenthal, Ed. Hemp in England. Oakland, Ca: Quick American Archives, 1994.

Rosenthal, Ed. Hemp Today. Oakland, Ca: Quick American Archives, 1994.

Roulac, John W. Industrial Hemp. Ojai, CA: Hemptech 1997.

Turner, Craig. "Legalize Hemp? Other countries say yes." Boulder Daily Camera 22 May 1994.

United States Congress. House of Representatives. Committe on Ways and Means. Taxation of Marijuana. 75th Congress. 2nd session. Hearings on H.R. 6385. April 27-30, and May 4 1937.

Wirshafter, Don. Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition. Vancover: Alive Books 1991