Buzz
Hemp refers to the plants belonging to the Cannabis genus, though the term typically denotes strains grown for industrial purposes rather than for recreational use. Hemp has countless applications, including in the production of paper, textiles, eco-friendly plastics, construction materials, nutritional products, and fuel. It is one of the fastest-growing plant species and was among the first crops to be cultivated by humans. Here are 15 fascinating things to know about the non-psychoactive version of cannabis. [Source]
Facts 1 – 5
1. Up until the 1880s, all schoolbooks were printed on paper made from hemp or flax. (Jack Frazier, Hemp Paper Reconsidered, 1974.)
2. From 1631 until the early 1800s, it was perfectly legal to pay taxes with hemp in America. (LA Times. Aug. 12, 1981.)
3. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was actually illegal to refuse to grow hemp in America! In Virginia, if you didn’t grow hemp between 1763 and 1769, you could be jailed. (G. M. Herdon. Hemp in Colonial Virginia).
4. Founding fathers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. Jefferson even smuggled hemp seeds from China to France, and then brought them to America. (Washington and Jefferson Diaries.)
5. Benjamin Franklin owned one of America’s first paper mills, which processed hemp. In addition, the War of 1812 was fought over hemp, as Napoleon attempted to block Moscow’s hemp exports to England. (Jack Herer. Emperor Wears No Clothes.)
2 Facts 6 – 10
For thousands of years, hemp was used for 90% of all ship sails and ropes. The word 'canvas' originates from the Middle English term 'canevas,' which comes from the Latin word 'cannabis.' (Webster’s New World Dictionary.)
Until the 1820s, hemp was the primary material for 80% of all textiles, including clothing, fabrics, linen, drapes, and bed sheets, until the cotton gin changed the textile industry forever.
The first Bibles, maps, charts, the Betsy Ross flag, and the original drafts of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were printed on hemp paper. (U.S. Government Archives.)
Hemp was the first crop cultivated in many states. In 1850, Kentucky produced 40,000 tons, marking a peak year. Hemp remained the top cash crop until the 20th century. (State Archives.)
The earliest known records of hemp cultivation date back 5000 years in China, though the industrial use of hemp likely began in ancient Egypt.
Facts 11 to 15
Many famous artists, including Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Gainsborough, along with most early canvas painters, created their works on hemp linen.
In 1916, the U.S. Government projected that by the 1940s, all paper production would rely on hemp, eliminating the need to cut down trees. Studies showed that 1 acre of hemp could replace 4.1 acres of trees. These plans were under consideration by the government. (U.S. Department of Agriculture Archives.)
Until 1937, hemp seed oil was used to make high-quality paints and varnishes. In 1935, the U.S. consumed 58,000 tons of hemp seeds for paint production. (Sherman Williams Paint Co. testimony before the U.S. Congress against the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.)
Henry Ford’s original Model-T was designed to run on hemp gasoline, and even the car itself was made from hemp! Ford was photographed on his estate surrounded by hemp fields. The car, ‘grown from the soil,’ featured hemp plastic panels that were 10 times stronger than steel. (Popular Mechanics, 1941.)
In 1938, hemp was referred to as the ‘Billion Dollar Crop,’ marking the first time a cash crop had the potential to generate over a billion dollars in revenue. (Popular Mechanics, Feb. 1938.)
