the third annual hemp history week
Hemp products generate over $419 million in sales each year, yet we're not allowed to grow it in the United States. It's so flat out stupid that every other country grows it, but we don't! American farmers are missing out on that revenue, and importing hemp is prohibitively expensive,meaning consumers have to pay more for this healthy, sustainable material. It's the most unpatriotic policy you can imagine, right? Ridiculous, on an economic, environmental and health level!
Why I Love Hemp
I have been a fan of hemp products for years. I have bought hemp clothes, and napkins for the house, and couches made with hemp...and on a regular basis, I buy hemp milk and protein powder for the hubby. At one point, my husband also had a great hemp wallet! I had a hemp backpack that lasted me twelve years and traveled the world with me. Enough friends told me "you are ridiculous wearing a backpack." I didn't listen to them for 12 years, but now I seem to carry a purse and bags like a grown up, most of the time. And of course, my EcoTools bags are made with hemp! Anywho, hemp is my friend, and it would be way more eco to be growing it here in the U.S.
Hemp is not just used to make clothes; it's also a great source of complete protein with ten amino acids, omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, and iron. Hemp can also be used to make cosmetics, building materials, and auto parts (for real)! The downside is that right now, it's illegal to grow hemp in the U.S., so hemp product manufacturers have to import their raw materials, and farmers in the U.S. are missing out on an entire industry!
Get Involved
During Hemp History Week, there will be events happening all over the country! Le's help farmers and ourselves by renewing support for hemp farming in the U.S. and educate our elected officials about the economic benefits of growing non-drug, industrial hemp on American soil.
Visit HempHistoryWeek.com to find out what events are happening near you.
What is your favorite hemp product? Is anyone working on this issue? What else can we do to make hemp legal in the US? Let's fix this problem!!
More about hemp...
Great Hemp Protein
Hemp History Week 2011
19 comments
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I live in Australia and whilst a couple of farms here can grow hemp (with strict legislation) it is illegal to consume it. We can buy hemp seeds, oil and protein powder but we can not eat this wonderfully, nutritious food! We can use it externally only. As I understand it, Australia and New Zealand are the only 2 countries in the world where humans can not consume hemp.
American, Australian and New Zealand politicians need to stop messing around, there are evironmental benefits in growing and using hemp in addition to health benefits of consuming it!
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I think http://www.votehemp.com/ & http://www.thehia.org/ are working on the issue, they seem to be on it & worth supporting. :) Personally, my favourite hemp products are from Ruth's Foods, I eat them every day (and I'm not even vegan or vegetarian): organic Hemp Protein Powder with Sprouted Flax & Maca; organic Softhemp (shelled hemp seed); organic Hemp Oil; organic Hemp Protein Powder; and Ruth's Chia Goodness (made with chia, hemp, buckwheat & more). She has a recipe on her website for hemp burgers & more! I know one can use hemp seeds to make their own hemp milk @ home too. (haven't tried doing that yet myself. :)
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These folks make incredible hemp t-shirts and hoodies...I have no affiliation with them other than that I own a bunch. The good people on this thread might also like to see a movie Woody Harrelson is in, that recently released:
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Hemp fabric is three times stronger than cotton fabric of the same weight. It has no known insect enemies and a high resistance to disease, therefore, there is no need to use harmful pesticides in cultivation.I LOVE my new 100% organic hemp bag! Check them out at www.earthelegant.com
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To add to what Jane said, Dupont was supposedly another big advocate of criminalizing hemp because they wanted to clear the marketplace for their new product, Nylon. I've been an advocate for decriminalizing since I became aware of it aroung 1992. Politically, however, I don't foresee many legislators sticking their necks out for fear of public perception.
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Hemp seed, salad dressing, hemp flour, and cold presed hemp seed oil! I have visited the farm (its close to where I grew up) and this place is amazing!
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My favorite hemp product is Chronic Ice Hemp Iced Tea. It's yummy! I wish more stores would carry it! ~Johnny
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It is almost impossible to detect marajuana from hemp if someone decided to grow a massive stash in an amongst the hemp in a patch of land, this is one of the reasons they supposedly do not want to legalise it. I'm more inclined to beleive it's because hemp can replace MANY of the resources we use and could pose a huge threat since it is a weed, and grows like crazy with little care. We could replace *so* many things with hemp, if you do a search on the possibilities you will see they seem just about endless.
I lived in Canada for 8 years, and was friends with a hemp farmer. I went to the farm and used many of their products. There are strict laws in Canada about hemp farming but at least it's legal. As for using it for clothing. I was told by my farmer friend that it's not all that eco-friendly as the only place in the world with the (insanely expensive) machinery that can turn this course substance into a soft and usable fabric is China. So even if the U.S. made it legal, it would have to ship to China for processing and then back for consumers.
It's ridiculous for it to not be legal, as you cannot smoke it unless you want a massive headache. There isn't enough THC in hemp to get anyone high.
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Lori Del Genis - Thank you so much for that response to my question it was very helpful. I really feel it is important to know before making a decision as to what direction to go charging into although I do lean more toward trusting Alicia's judgement on the issue and will probably be at some Hemp History Week event next week. I searched the Hemp History Week website and found this: "Hemp is last grown in the U.S. due to government confusion over hemp and drug varieties of the plant, while new government incentives for industry replace natural fibers with plastics, ultimately bankrupting key hemp processors". This is still kind of vague and I could speculate as to why but hemp is the male sex of the marijuana plant and doesn't have any drug effects so I don't see why with thorough monitoring and law enforcement (which can be scarce, I know) that we couldn't have hemp farmers here in the U.S. which is what I told my Congressman Andy Harris in an email. I also see your point about the medicinal benefits of the female plant of marijana. I'm sure eventually we will win this legislation. thanks again,
Blake
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The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was misleading to the congress that passed it. They thought they were taxing the use of an illicit substance, marijuana, (which was an unfamiliar Mexican slang term). Instead, they banned the cultivation of cannabis, which many of them grew up with on their family farms. The paper and lumber industry, along with newspaper tycoon William Hearst, produced massive amounts of propaganda against this substance "marijuana" with headlines reading "Marijuana: the devil's plant with roots in hell!" This caused the public to fear it. With cannabis off the market, they could continue their deforestation for paper and lumber. This book explains it:
Hemp: American History Revisited
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Blake - to respond to your question as to why growing hemp is not allowed in the US: my guess is that back in the 19th century the cotton and tobacco lobby groups saw that hemp was a threat to their products, so they got together and worked on the government to pass laws demonizing hemp for its drug properties. It's been pretty thoroughly debunked, I think, that smoking hemp is actually damaging (and certainly not more damaging than smoking tobacco). In fact, research has shown that hemp is very helpful in some medicinal applications. And yet hemp is still illegal. Since there doesn't seem to be a logical reason, I'd look to an economic one.
Caveat: I haven't done much research on this and I could well be wrong. But it's an explanation that makes sense. I'd be interested to hear if other people have other explanations or have done research into the matter and can speak with Authority.
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I find hemp aparel very durable and hemp edible products very tasty. I would like to know the other side of the story though as to why growing hemp is not allowed in the US.
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i guess we are allowed to grow it in germany and we can buy it as seeds and flour. but if you have a police control and if they do drug tests with you, you've to give back your drivers licence for one year pay penalty for consuming drugs...!
in germany we always say ironically: you don't need to understand everything...! ;-)
pls have a kind look at my blog.
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I buy hemp hearts at the health food store, and I sprinkle them on my cereal in the morning. They add a really nice nutty flavour and I love the texture.
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Hemp is fabulous! And one more thing that hemp can be used in: wedding dresses!
Wedding dresses can be made out of hemp/silk fabric, a blend of hemp (usually around 65-85%) and silk, which makes a beautiful shiny satiny fabric that takes a dye beautifully and is tough as nails. It's a wonderful fabric for all sorts of pretty clothing, not just wedding attire. Better and better, many hemp/silk producers use wild-crafted or 'peace' silk for their silk, which does no harm to the silkworms as the cocoons are harvested after the silkworm has exited naturally. It's hard to get kinder than that!
(well, okay, one *can* dresses out of reclaimed fabrics which also do no further harm to the silkworms. But it's not 'reclaimed history' week this week. ;->)
Happy hemp week!! ;-D
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