By failing to distinguish between industrial hemp and marijuana, we all lose.
by Steven Farmer
iven the deteriorating state of this planet
extensive air and water pollution, the worldwide decline of forests and
holes in the protective ozone layer it's evident that we must find non-polluting,
renewable resources to replace the ones our industrialized society come
to rely on.
Fortunately, there is a plant once cultivated
by our founding fathers that may provide many of the answers to our dilemma:
industrial hemp. This plant has been grown and utilized for thousands of
years, requires no herbicides or pesticides, matures in four months and
does well in a variety of climates. As its leaves and flowers fall off,
they replenish the soil with nutrients. Its tap roots are quite long and
helps bind the soil, preventing soil erosion
As far back as 1938, Popular Mechanics
said that industrial hemp had the potential of being a "billion dollar
industry" and described over 25,000 different uses. Some of the many
products that can and are being made from industrial hemp include clothing,
paper, twine, fiberboard, plastic, paint and fuel.
One acre of hemp will produce the same amount
of paper as four acres of trees without the use of harmful chemicals in
the processing. And paper made from hemp can last hundreds of years with
very little deterioration. Nutritionally, hemp seed is a complete source
of vegetable protein containing 30 percent oil. The oil is one of the lowest
in saturated fatty acids and is highest in total essential fatty acids (EFA's)
(80 percent of total oil volume). EFA's boost the immune system and remove
cholesterol from the arteries. These are fats the body needs but does not
itself produce.
In spite of these remarkable properties, it
remains illegal to grow industrial hemp in the United States.
The reason stems from the Marijuana Tax Act
passed by the U.S. Congress in 1937. By making no distinction between marijuana
and other commonly known and accepted hemp products, and by demonizing marijuana
in spite of a lack of rational evidence that it deserved such castigation,
all cannabis hemp products were implicated by association. One of the most
unfortunate outcomes of this law was that industrial, medicinal and nutritional
uses of the plant were outlawed as well. This prohibition has prevented
cultivation of industrial hemp and interfered with the economic advantages
a U.S. hemp industry would enjoy. Canada, England, France, Germany and Australia
are building strong hemp industries, while China, Thailand, Hungary, Poland,
Russia, Romania, Spain, Slovania and the Netherlands already have active
hemp industries. The sales of industrial hemp products worldwide (excluding
China) increased from $5 million in 1993 to $75 million in 1995; projected
estimates for 1997 are $200 million. Since we must currently import hemp
products, money for the raw materials goes to other countries that can legally
grow and process industrial hemp.
| Industrial hemp | Marijuana· |
| Grown for the stalk, which contains the best fiber for rope, textiles, paper, and the "hurd" or inner pulp for animal bedding, building materials and biomass. | Grown for the "buds" or flower from the female plant, which contains the higher quantities of the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than any other part of the plant. |
| Tall (8-16 ft) and sparse of vegetation. | Short (4-6 ft) and bushy (more flowers). |
| Stalk is harvested; leaves and flowers fall off and return nutrients to the soil. | Flowers and leaves are harvested, stalk is generally considered waste. |
| THC content is 1% or less, typically 0.3%. | THC content is usually 2-15%. |
| Produces no psychoactive effects if smoked or ingested. | Produces psychoactive "high" when smoked or ingested. |
| No medicinal attributes (however, the crates that ship the medicine, the doctor's clothes, medicine bag, and paper for the prescription can all be made of hemp). | Useful as medicine with a number of different applications. |
With the tremendous and timely advantages industrial
hemp has to offer, why does it remain illegal to grow it in the United States?
The primary reason is that people in our society fail to distinguish between
the "demon" marijuana and industrial hemp. The Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and many law enforcement agencies are entrenched in
the stance that there is no distinction between the two. They maintain that
efforts to legalize the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp
is a thinly veiled plot to legalize marijuana. The truth is that, although
industrial hemp and marijuana share some common characteristics, there are
striking differences (see table, page 11).
The loss of the right to grow industrial hemp
and the propaganda claiming there is no difference between marijuana and
industrial hemp deprive us of an incredibly diverse resource one that can
have significant impact on restoring the health of the planet.
The good news is that there is increasing momentum
in the pro-hemp movement. Several states are in the process of investigating
the cultivation of industrial hemp. This year, Vermont passed a bill calling
for further research, and Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Hawaii are all checking
into it. The Navajo Nation in Arizona is prepared to grow hemp, and has
set aside several thousand acres for that purpose. They had a ceremonial
planting in May, 1996, and this year expect to grow their first crop to
get seed for future plantings. Although a Colorado bill was recently defeated,
primarily because of misleading testimony by law enforcement personnel,
interest remains strong.
The value of growing industrial hemp far surpasses
the fear that this is all somehow a plot to legalize marijuana. We are seriously
lagging by not supporting an active hemp industry, from cultivation to application.
We can put new life into America's farms and her farmers, create more jobs,
and keep money that now goes to other countries for hemp products in the
United States.
The current stand against hemp can only be
changed through information and education. If you would like to help this
process, here are some simple things you can do:
For further information on hemp, please contact
the following organizations:
Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp (BACH), P.O. Box 71093, Los Angeles, CA, 90071-0093. (310) 288-4152
California NORML, 2215-R ST #278, San Francisco, CA, 94114. (415) 563-5858
HEMPTECH, John W. Roulac, P.O. Box 1716, Sebastopol, CA, 95473. (707) 823 2800. E-mait john
Hemptech.com. Web. www.Hemptech.com.
Institute for Hemp, P.O. Box 65130, St Paul, MN, 55165 (612) 222-2628
The following books offer more information
about the history and use of hemp:
Hemp: Lifeline to the Future, by Chris Conrad
The Emperor Wears No Clothes, by Jack Herer
Hemp Today, by Ed Rosenthal, Ed.
Industrial Hemp, published by HEMPTECH
Steven Farmer, MA, is a psychotherapist, educator
and author of several books, as well as the owner of Hemp in the Hollow,
Orange County's first complete industrial hemp retail store. Along with
Manager Cindy Biggers they provide resources for information regarding industrial
hemp, as well as hemp items for sale, including clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry,
bags, backpacks, and much more. Hemp in the Hollow is located at 640 S.
Coast Highway, Suite 2A in Laguna Beach, (714) 494-3070, and is open daily
