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Running Head: INDUSTRIAL HEMPS IMPACT ON AMERICA

Running Head: INDUSTRIAL HEMPS IMPACT ON AMERICA

Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of the Literature

Ruby Anahi Franco
University of Texas at El Paso

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

Abstract
Industrial hemp has been known to be the most highly cultivated crop in American
history. Its illegalization began less than a century ago when large industries first began to
triumph in the nation. Although hemp and marijuana are highly distinct, hemp fell along with the
illegalization of marijuana and the overall word cannabis gained negative public support.
Hemp remains illegal today and there continues to be a lot of confusion from the public
distinguishing between both plants. The few arguments against the legalization of hemp seem
outweigh the thousands of arguments that advocate the legalization of hemp. This report will be
looking at both the positive and negative views towards hemp and how it would impact the
nation if it were to be fully legalized and mass-produced.

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

According to hemp historian, John Dvorak, the use of hemp goes back for more than
10,000 years, even before the use of pottery. Since the beginning of the American nation, the
founding fathers acknowledged the benefits of the plant and became one of the most useful crop
known to man. In 1619, hemp was considered one of the most important resources to the nation
that it was illegal for farmers not to grow this crop on their farms. Consequences followed to
those who did not make use of cannabis. Soon, hemp spread to all the other states and the hemp
industry expanded rapidly. This highly favored plant triumphed in America up until the early
20th century when it became banned along with its intoxicating cousin, marijuana. A plant that
was once so embraced and urged to grow for centuries, immediately became illegal in just a
decade. Confusion has risen for many people who have been misinformed and who dont
understand why such a drastic and negative view was given to cannabis all of a sudden. The
illegalization of cannabis now raises a lot of questions from the general public and for this
reason, research must be made to inform and to understand whether there was a legitimate and
valid reason for this action and to see if the majority of the people agree with it. These questions
below will be further discussed:
1. What is hemp and why is it illegal?
2. Do people still associate hemp with marijuana?
3. How would industrial hemp impact America if it were legalized once again?
These questions will help inform people about the difference between hemp and marijuana, why
they were both banned, show the possible outcomes the United States would experience if they
made the plant legal once again and ultimately show how the American society views the crop.

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

What is hemp and why is it illegal?

According to the Hemp Farm website, hemp is of the cannabis plant but contains less
than 1% of the chemical known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the psychoactive
compound that gets people high. It is impossible to use hemp for intoxication which greatly
distinguishes it from marijuana. The website mentions some other facts such as hemp being
resistant to drought and disease therefore it can be grown in virtually any known climate whether
its wet or dry. This crop grows quite fast and doesnt require herbicides or pesticides to grow. It
also absorbs more carbon dioxide and produces more oxygen than trees. Hemp is also considered
the greatest cellulose producer on Earth and can be used for many things such as rope, paper, oil,
shampoo, food, clothing, concrete and over 50,000 other products. However, its close association
with marijuana is what set all of these facts aside and completely banned the entire crop
production in America.
Joe Martino, the founder, writer, filmmaker of Consciousness Evolution wrote an article
called How Hemp Became Illegal: The Marijuana Link (2012) and described how in the earliest
20th century, hemp was competing with very big industries such as the cotton, paper and oil
industry. Hemp was capable of producing all three in a more efficient and environmentally
friendly way which alerted the enterprises and knew they had to do something about it.
Supporters of domestic cultivation stated that the crop could create a $300 million industry and
they soon realized that hemp was a threat to all other industries. According to Abby Martin, an
American journalist spoke about how William Hearst, a New York Congressman and big
newspaper publisher, created a propaganda campaign against marijuana. In fact, this is where the
term yellow journalism came about. Joe Martinos article continues talking about how the
media began to spread false facts about cannabis such as the movie Reefer Madness (1937.)

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

which considered marijuana as a violent narcotic. The film gave the phrase Tell Your Children
so that they could create negative public opinion and be able to pass anti-marijuana laws without
objection. People in the 1930s did not have as much access to information, such as the Internet,
that is accessible today. They based their opinions and beliefs from what they heard in the news
or newspaper media so the distinction between hemp and marijuana was not clear enough to the
public. Not realizing that marijuana was in fact a strain of hemp resulted in making all cannabis
illegal under The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 regardless of whether hemp was even valid enough
to pass as a drug. Congress reason for banning hemp was because, just like the majority of
America, they considered it to be a dangerous drug. Even today, hemp is still illegal under the
Controlled Substance Act as a Schedule 1 drug. Many people disagree with this law while
thousands of others still believe that hemp should remain illegal simply because of its close
association with marijuana.
Do people still associate hemp with marijuana?
Ever since the propaganda that was created against marijuana, public perception towards
cannabis hemp has been related to drug use. This was one of the main reasons why the Marijuana
Tax Act of 1937 was made possible after acquiring negative opinion about cannabis from the
general public. With the invention of the Internet and easier access to facts and information,
consumers are getting aware of the variety of uses to which industrial hemp can be put.
However, the crop still remains illegal under the federal government and many people are still
unaware of the differences between hemp and marijuana.
When people hear the word hemp, many quickly associate the word with marijuana and
this has caused many misunderstandings about the crop. Although both plants may awfully
resemble one another at first glance, they are in fact biologically distinct and taking a close look

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

even further, they are both used very differently. These facts arent emphasized enough since
marijuana seems to get more public attention than industrial hemp. The legalization of marijuana
is a far more popular subject while the other cannabis strain has been somewhat ignored.
A survey was conducted at the Cielo Vista mall here in El Paso asking 50 people of
different heritage and of ages between 18 and up if they knew the difference between hemp and
marijuana. The results showed that 26 people had a really vague idea and limited knowledge
about the major differences while 15 people believed it was the same as marijuana and 9 people
were well informed. The high number of uncertainty isnt shocking since cannabis is always
portrayed as the plant that is used to get high through various forms of consumption and not as a
useful resource that can be converted into thousands of different products.
This survey may imply that this question presented at a larger demographic scale might
reflect similar results. It also shows the impact that the marijuana campaign in the early 20th
century affected the American society after creating confusion between the two plants. The
confusion remains among many Americans but many are slowly understanding the differences as
the awareness increases and a massive re-education approach has been taken by the media to
inform what hemp is and what it can be used for.
More research allows us to see whether people are still aware about hemps distinction
from marijuana. Tennessees state representative, Jeremy Faison, was trying to legalize hemp as
an agricultural crop. He argued that because people still think that hemp is marijuana, even
though it doesnt contain THC, it is still illegal to grow here in the states. Faison believes that in
order to legalize hemp, the general public needs to be informed. Coming from a representative
himself, this also tells us a lot about public opinion. It seems that there are still many people who
dont understand the difference between these two cannabis plants.

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

How would industrial hemp impact America if it were legalized once again?
Hemp supporters believe that legalization of hemp in America would bring many benefits
in all areas of the country and very little to no problems at all. Although it is true that there exists
thousands of different ways that hemp could benefit America, the illegalization of the plant
remains highly strict for the few who believe that the issues the country would face overwhelms
the big benefits it would bring. Hemp holds little environmental, industrial, health and economic
recognition in the United States while many feel that it greatly deserves the attention from all
these areas.

The North American Industrial Hemp Counsel shows how hemp can be converted into
more than 25,000 products. According to Henry Ford and his dream of creating cars constructed
and entirely by hemp, claimed that a car made out of hemp plastic could withstand a blow 10
times stronger than steel without denting and weigh 1000 times less than current steel. This has

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

made many believe that if the Unites States began building cars out of hemp plastic, just how
Ford envisioned, it would save millions of lives of people who die or get injured every year from
car crashes. They also believe that because it weighs less than steel, it would improve the gas
mileage. Henry Fords car from the soil was planned to be run by hemp fuel. Research of
Fords car made from the soil was further conducted and posted on Rense.com which also
talks about hemp biofuel being a cleaner energy source that does not pollute the Earth with smog
or acid rain but instead releases oxygen. It is also said to be non-toxic, biodegradable and if there
were to be an oil spill, it wouldnt be a catastrophe; it would just be fertilizer for the soil.
Legalizing hemp would allow the country to switch to a new alternative source for oil and
provide many environmental benefits.
Another way hemp would impact America is by producing stronger and more durable
paper. Hemp activist, Becca Wolford, compared hemp paper with regular paper and wrote an
article about how hemp, which only takes 4 months to mature, contains 85% cellulose which can
create paper that can be recycled up to 8 times and doesnt yellow over time. Compared to
forests that take over 20 years to grow, trees only contain 30% cellulose and its paper can only
be recycled up to 3 times. The article further states how switching to hemp paper would
eliminate deforestation by 50% or more.
Legalizing hemp has also shown yet another effective environmental benefit it would
provide to the nation by being capable of producing concrete (Hempcrete). According to The
National Building Company, buildings made out of hempcrete are energy efficient, non-toxic,
and resistant to mold, insects, fire, rats, and earthquakes. They also mention how water can go
into the building without damaging the material. Instead, it gets stronger and stronger throughout
the years so theyre capable of lasting for thousands of years. This type of building technique

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

using hemp would create a more stable and pest-less home. It also would not need to have an
A/C or heater on all day to have the desired temperature indoors which would ultimately save a
lot of energy.
Because of these obvious reasons, supporters of hemp believe that this miracle crop
could make a million or even billion dollar industry if it were mass-produced here in the states.
However, by replacing these products with hemp, all of the current top industries of the nation
would greatly suffer. This is where the argument of the legalization of hemp begins.
Despite how greatly hemp proponents portray the crops potential, others believe that
hemp could never compete with major suppliers such as China, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Ignoring the fact that more hemp products are imported into the U.S than any other country, The
Colorado Business Journal writes about how the US Department of Agriculture believes that
hemp is a small, thin market, and it will not successfully benefit the economy. However, the
journal continues saying that the Congressional Research Service believes the time is ripe for
hemp production saying in a 2012 report that the market has proven profitable. The USDA
continues to dismiss the idea believing that the crop cannot be profitably processed in the United
States and that overproducing it will lower the prices and provide less money.
Another reason why hemp opponents want the crop to remain illegal is because they
believe the crop isnt needed since the US already has various industries that are managing the
jobs that hemp wants to be a part of. The oil industry, for example, stands strong here in the
United States supplying 60% of Americas needs according to Energy Tomorrow, a website that
provides information about the oil and natural gas industry. It also mentioned that the industry
brought $476 billion to the United States in 2010. Since the company continues to provide

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

revenue to governments, investment growth to millions of Americans and 9.2 million jobs
nationwide, introducing hemp would greatly affect the industry.
Not only would hemp harm the oil industry by providing more efficient biofuels that burn
cleaner than current fossil fuels, hemp is also a threat to thousands of other industries. Hemp
will become an industry much larger than the steel industry is or ever was. States Michael
Carter on an article in Sativa Magazine. Another article on Health Impact News called Hemp
Could Free Us From Oil, Prevent Deforestation, Cure Cancer and Its Environmentally Friendly
So Why Is It Illegal? states that:
Hemp became illegal at the time when oil was beginning to make an impact on the
economy as a base material for many things that hemp could also be used for, including textiles
and fibers (plastics), cosmetics and fuel. Obviously, a resource is more profitable if access to it is
restricted and not every farmer can grow it himself.
Allowing hemp to be cultivated in every state and produce stronger, more durable and
environmentally friendly products would affect the oil, steel, building, plastic and paper
industries as well as many others. According to the National Conference of State Legislation, the
2014 Farm Bill agreement would allow institutions and state departments of agriculture to grow
hemp in the 19 states that cannabis has been made legal for research and commercial purposes.
However, farmers who wish to cultivate the crop still need permission from the DEA even
though the states provide their own permits. The Colorado Business Journal (2012) says that
none of the farms have received a DEA permit. The federal government is still debating the issue
despite the high interest in these states.

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

The government and big industries arent the only ones who dont want to legalize hemp.
Many people continue to be against the legalization of hemp because they believe that if hemp
were to be legalized, marijuana would soon eventually become legal too. A TED case report
announced that anti-legalization forces claim that people are just using hemp as a stepping stone
for legalization of marijuana and harder drugs. For example, when Colorado considered an
initiative to begin investigating the possibility of legalizing industrial hemp, dozens of state
narcotics agents and representatives of the DEA testified that pro- hemp activists were a front for
drug dealers who want to legalize marijuana. On top of that, many also argue that because both
marijuana and hemp look almost nearly identical, law enforcement will not be able to distinguish
them when they are flying above the fields. This argument is a common one among those who
prefer for all cannabis to remain illegal to prevent such confusion.
Conclusion
Industrial hemp is part of the cannabis sativa plant but unlike marijuana, it does not
contain the psychoactive compound, THC. It can be converted into thousands of different
products from cosmetics, clothing, paper and even building materials. Although you cant get
intoxicated from consuming hemp, it is illegal under the Control Substance Act as a Schedule 1
drug because of its association with marijuana. The legalization of this crop show various
environmental, health and economic benefits that would be brought upon to the United States.
Regardless of these facts, a few people seem to be against it simply because they believe the crop
wont create much profit and also because they fear that it may lead to legalizing marijuana as
well. There is still confusion among many Americans about the difference between both
cannabis strains. Many are angry at the fact that its considered a drug while many still believe

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

that it is a drug and many others are misinformed about how the legalization of industrial hemp
would affect the country.

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

Resources
Gillentine, A., (2012). Industrial hemp can jump start economy. The Colorado Springs
Business Journal. Retrieved from http://csbj.com/2012/11/30/industrial-hemp-could-jump-starteconomy/
Buckley, K., (2014). Lawmakers address state pressing issues. The Greeneville Sun. Retrieved
from http://www.greenevillesun.com/news/article_de3dcfb6-1866-5e9a-841387311c8f2a44.html
http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/hemp-could-free-us-from-oil-prevent-deforestation-curecancer-and-its-environmentally-friendly-so-why-is-it-illegal/
Carter M., (2013, October). Reap what you sow. SativaMagazine, 4-5
Rutherford, R. (2014, August). Let it grow. SativaMagazine, 8-9
Hemp Industries Association. (2014). Facts. Retrieved from http://www.thehia.org/facts.html
Torres, M., (2014, November 2). Hemp could free is from oil, prevent deforestation, cure cancer
and its environmentally friendly- So why is it illegal? Health Impact News. Retrieved from
http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/hemp-could-free-us-from-oil-prevent-deforestation-curecancer-and-its-environmentally-friendly-so-why-is-it-illegal/
Hemphasis. (2014). Home page. Retrieved from http://www.hemphasis.net/
Green, J., (2012, March 11). Arguments against hemp and why they are wrong. [The weed blog]
Retrieved from http://www.theweedblog.com/arguments-against-hemp-and-why-they-are-wrong/
McNight, C., (2014). Hemp seeds: Health benefits or hype? The LiveStrong Foundation.
Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/217904-hemp-seeds-health-benefits-or-hype/

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Industrial Hemps Impact on America: A Review of Literature

Martino, J., (2012). How hemp became illegal: The marijuana link. Consciousness Evolution.
Retrieved from http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/12/05/how-hemp-became-illegal-themarijuana-link/