A former concern about marijuana in the US was that it made Mexican beet workers think they were matadors. “All Mexicans are crazy” it was said, and this was the stuff that made them that way. But it was not just our southern neighbors we had to worry about. “Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers” were also offenders.

And do not get these guys started on what happens when white women smoke it!

Because of all this, the brave souls in the US Congress, Senate and the FD Roosevelt White House enforced prohibition on marijuana on August 2, 1937. This included its cousin, industrial hemp.

In this very short article we will explore the legislation, its effects, and the sensibilities behind outlawing industrial hemp.

What did the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 Do?

According to the Customs and Border Patrol, the legislation was meant to stop recreational cannabis smoking, and industrial hemp was caught up in it. Some may ask, if it was a simple error, can it be fixed? The obvious answer is “yes,” simple errors can almost always be fixed. Therefore, is there more to this?

Other sources say that industrial hemp was part of the aim. The legislation sought to decrease the production and importation of it through excessive taxation. Importers had to pay $24 (over $500 today) per year and affix a stamp to every order processed. Illegal possession could bring 5 years in prison.

Is Hemp Safe?

It bears asking if industrial hemp is a danger.

Hemp is a non-psychotropic plant that can be used as food for people and livestock. It is the only plant to contain all of the essential vitamins, and is also high in fiber. For more information, see this WebMD page, and this one from the NIH.

Beyond its use as a food, it can be converted into building materials and fuel. Henry Ford used to make car parts with it. Bibles were produced using its paper. Today, homes are being built with bricks from this plant. Penn State is producing it for its many uses, as is Virginia Tech in partnership with Virginia State University.

In 1905, one of Secretary of War William Howard Taft’s solutions for the ravaged Philippines was planting hemp because it was not only a good source of food, but grew quickly. [As an aside, a better solution would have been for the US Army not to have murdered, raped, and interred all the people there, but in the face of having done that…….hemp].

Not only does hemp grow quickly, but it can do so in contaminated soil with less water under cold conditions, and it is not susceptible to infestation, because bugs do not like it. A field of hemp will replenish the soil it is in, and can be grown repeatedly. Compared to tobacco, it’s much better in possibly all respects; compared to trees, it turns over much faster.

So, why? Just why was it demonized?

Hemp’s Greatest Threat Was to Cotton, Not People

It would be over-simplifying the whole matter to say that “cotton growers rallied to rid the competition,” but it would be irresponsible to deny it. Agricultural competition was a big reason for all of this.

Another reason was that people were afraid of the dangers of drug use, and wanted to protect their families. As such, when a 1936 film, “Reefer Madness,” depicted the depravity of those embedded in the culture of marijuana, it was very concerning.

Hemp Is Legal Now, Unless You’re Military

Today, the US is the 3rd largest producer of hemp. And while some states do not permit growing the crop, it is legal to transport hemp into that state.

However, if you are in the US military and are “caught” with hemp in your system, you will be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Here is a helpful helpful flyer from the Department of Defense:

 

 

What sense is there in outlawing a healthy food from a battalion’s diet? Why would any leader not petition for such a simple inclusion that is equivalent to offering multi-vitamins, but better for its fibrous benefits, especially when a common complaint of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) is that they constipate troops? By including a 2-tablespoon packet of hemp hearts, troops will be better able to fulfill commands in a field environment, but, currently, only by violating the UCMJ, and can even go to jail. This ban includes Kind bars.

Where to Find Hemp?

As a food source, just about every grocery store sells hemp. Hemp hearts are a nice addition to yogurt and pudding, but also just fine by themselves.

This 2008 Lotus was made with hemp to keep the body strong and lightweight

As a building material, you may find it in the upcoming Kestrel automobile, and can also find it in the Lotus Eco Elise (shown on the left).

You can buy concrete blocks and wood made of it for building. The blocks are not suitable for load-bearing, but good for fences, sheds, warehouses, and insulation. Per this article in the Guardian, it is a nearly carbon-negative material.

If used in building, it’s naturally resistant to mold, fire and infestation, because, again, bugs do not eat it.

Hemp’s Future

If the future is sensible, this food will be served in public schools and to the military. Forests will grow because of the replacement of some tree lumber with hemp, and the cost of new construction will be lowered due to the lower demand and increased competition with regard to materials. Hemp may also be the fuel that heats homes and runs engines.

But the future isn’t here yet, and there are people in it. The latter makes it uncertain.