Hemp Throughout History

Hemp has a long and rich history in human civilization. From the earliest days, humans have consumed hemp as a food source, used it for textiles and clothing, and even built homes with it. There is documentation of caves constructed with a hempcrete-like material dating back around 3,000 years.

By the early 1700s, industrial hemp was significant in New England. European settlers used hemp for essential maritime purposes: the sails of their ships and the ropes that hoisted those sails were made from hemp. This critical resource played a vital role in their transatlantic journeys.

Before 1937, hemp was integral to many aspects of daily life in the United States. It provided much of our food, clothing, energy, medicine, income, and shelter. Additionally, at the turn of the century, cannabis medicine was a staple in drugstores nationwide, used in sleep medication, pain relief, children's cough syrups, and many other products.

However, the rise of other industries, as well as economic and political schemes, led to a shift. The pharmaceutical industry began producing more synthetic medicines, cotton farmers and textile producers increased their output, and paper mills expanded their manufacturing. These industries saw hemp and cannabis as direct competitors threatening their profits. The emerging plastics industry and oil companies also viewed hemp as a threat because it could be used to produce biodegradable plastics and biofuels. The timber industry was concerned about hemp's potential to replace wood pulp in paper production, and the rope and cordage industries worried about hemp's superior qualities.

Political intentions also played a significant role in the prohibition of cannabis and hemp. Influential figures and industries lobbied for legislation to eliminate their competition. The 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, introduced under the guise of controlling a dangerous drug, was primarily driven by economic interests. Media moguls like William Randolph Hearst, with substantial investments in timber for paper production, and industrialists like DuPont, whose new synthetic fibers faced competition from hemp, were instrumental in this campaign.

In addition to economic motivations, the prohibition of cannabis and hemp was used as a tool to marginalize minorities. The campaign against cannabis was heavily racialized, with propaganda linking its use to African American and Mexican communities negatively. Sensationalized stories and racist rhetoric were used to incite fear and justify the crackdown on cannabis. This led to disproportionate targeting and criminalization of minorities, further entrenching social and racial inequalities.

As a result, almost overnight, cannabis medicine was wiped from drugstores across the United States, and the cannabis and hemp prohibition era began.