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"Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere."--President George Washington, 1794From 1776 to 1937, hemp was a major American crop and textiles made from hemp were common. During World War II, hemp production was encouraged by the U.S. Government.
On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2 to 4 acres of trees. It takes years for trees to grow until they can be harvested for paper or wood, but hemp is ready for harvesting only 120 days after it is planted. Hemp can grow on most land suitable for farming, but forests and tree farms require large tracts of land available in few locations. Harvesting hemp rather than trees would also eliminate erosion due to logging, thereby reducing topsoil loss and water pollution caused by soil runoff. Literally millions of wild hemp plants currently grow throughout the United States. Wild hemp, like hemp grown for industrial use, has no drug properties because of its low THC content. U.S. marijuana laws prevent farmers from growing the same hemp plant that proliferates in nature by the millions. It is time for all voters who consider themselves environmentalists to start talking to legislators about the benefits of hemp. Hemp is not a drug -- it's not a ruse to legalize marijuana -- hemp is an environmentally-sound alternative to wood, cotton, soybeans and corn. A positive way to support the return of hemp as an agricultural product is to buy hemp clothing and hemp products. Check out the following site for additional resources and information about hemp and green living:
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