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INDUSTRIAL HEMP

1. One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as 4 acres of trees or two acres of cotton.
2. Hemp paper is longer lasting than wood pulp, stronger, acid-free, and chlorine free. (Chlorine is estimated to cause up to 10% of all Cancers.) Hemp paper can be recycled 7 times, wood pulp 4 times. Hemp fabric requires fewer chemicals than cotton and is stronger and longer lasting.
3. 5-10,000 Cancer related deaths are caused yearly from pesticide use. Cotton uses as much as 40% of all agricultural pesticides. Hemp uses no pesticides and crowds out weeds without herbicides.
4. Cotton has a drinking problem...extensive water subsidies. Hemp requires less water than cotton and grows in cooler climates.
5. Hemp should be worth $500 per acre if used for low end products such as particle board. If higher use products can be developed such as specialty paper and fabrics, the value could be even greater.
6. Hemp is an excellent rotation crop: it crowds out weeds and its deep tap roots break up hard pan soils.
7. Hemp particle board may be up to 2 times stronger than wood particle board and holds nails better.
8. Low-THC fiber hemp varieties developed by the French and others have been available for over 20 years. It is impossible to get high from fiber hemp. Over 600,000 acres of hemp is grown worldwide with no drug misuse problem. 9. In 1941 Henry Ford built a plastic car made of fiber from hemp and wheat straw. Anything made from a hydrocarbon can be made from a carbohydrate. The 21st century should be the era of the carbohydrate (sustainable agricultural products.) Hemp plastic is biodegradable, synthetic plastic is not.
10. Hemp is the world's most versatile fiber. Almost any product that can be made from wood, cotton, or petroleum (including plastics) can be made from hemp. There are more than 25,000 known uses for hemp!
Hemp Information
History
Uses Chart
Body Care Building
Material Clothing / Textiles
Plastics
Paper
Food Fuel / Energy
Environment /Soil
Economy
Politics

Web link for legislative action and information Vote Hemp.com
Here is a second link for good information Industrial Hemp

Hemp Myths and Realities
David P. West, Ph.D. for the North American Industrial Hemp Council
Dr. West holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from the University of Minnesota and has spent 18 years as a commercial corn breeder. Since 1993 he has served as an advisor to the emerging hemp industry regarding industrial hemp germplasm.

PDF downloads

UTNE magazine (this was marketed as an advertisement section, the information is solid although the advertisments are present.)
The Renewal of Common Sense: The Case for Hemp in 21st Century America
by Erik Rothenberg
Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity by Jean M. Rawson
Online downloads

Hemp For Victory Video

Growing hemp was outlawed in the United States in 1937, coincidentally (or not) just as Dupont's new product Nylon hit the nation's markets. Nylon did everything hemp could do - the only difference being that people could grow hemp anywhere for free. And they did - prior to 1937, that is.

This is one of the reasons why Hemp was such a valuable plant throughout history. It is a hardy plant and grows like a "weed," requiring very little (if any) pesticides - unlike cotton, which is one of the most pesticide intensive crops. The fibers can be spun into cloth for rope and sails that don't rot - which is why hemp was used for the rigging on old-time clipper ships. The seeds are an excellent source of protein. You can also make fine and durable paper from hemp - drafts of the US Constitution were written on hemp. George Washington was a hemp farmer.

The only problem is that you can no longer grow hemp in the United States. It is illegal. Why? Hemp - the plant that grows like a "weed" is also the plant that produces fragrant flowering "buds" which are commonly smoked as marijuana. However, there is a plant, known as "industrial hemp" which has no THC content (THC is the substance that gets you "high"). This too, however, is illegal.

The above film was made in 1942 by the US Government, extolling the virtues of hemp, and imploring American farmers to grow more of it. The USDA and Library of Congress denied the existence of such a film, until someone found a copy. And now it is on the internet for all to see! Talk about the power of the internet!

So if hemp is so great, how come it is illegal? Think about it.

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/woodyhemp.htm

http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html

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