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The Bush Administration decision not to appeal the 9th Circuit's decision means the 3-year-old legal battle over the sale of Hemp seed products is finally over (September 28, 2004). Unfortunately, under today?s laws Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would be arrested for the felony crime of growing Hemp plants. Thankfully for them when they both were Hemp farmers, American farmers were legally bound to grow Hemp. |
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Fiber
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Hemp fabric is warmer, softer, more water absorbent, will not mildew, resists odor, and lasts 26 times longer than cotton. Also, it can be woven as smooth as silk or lace. Original Levi Jeans and, of course, sails and ropes were made from Hemp fiber due to its superior strength.
Hemp can be used to produce fiberboard that is stronger than wood, lighter than wood, and fire retardant. Hemp can also be used to produce strong, durable and environmentally-friendly plastic substitutes.
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Environment
( 7 items )
An acre of Hemp produces as much pulp as 4 acres of trees (which can take 20 years to once again grow trees on the same land). We would not only save our forests from destruction but it would also save our farmers from destruction, create jobs and produce healthy, more durable and environmentally-friendly products all without outsourcing.
Hemp is a soil-building plant that is excellent in crop rotation and can be grown and harvested in 90 days. Hemp grows well, without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Its strong roots control erosion and promotes weed eradication. In our current climate of deforestation and global warming, such sustainability gives Hemp a distinct advantage over products currently in many markets. Hemp is a hardworking, environmentally-sound renewable resource. People have become so wrapped up in ?the drug war" aspect of marijuana that many are forgetting Hemp?s uses as an industrial material and a healthy food source. Hemp is a great source for paper, fiber and, yes, even oil. By using clean- burning methanol fuel from Hemp, we could replace 50% of domestic oil, without tapping Alaska, offshore drilling or risking oil spills. During photosynthesis, the growth cycle of the plant removes 4 times as much C0 from the air as it puts in, so it helps clean the environment.
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Health Food
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Americans are finally looking for healthy foods and Hemp is the perfect find. Hemp is a great source of complete protein, offering 17 different amino acids, including all of the essential ones. Simply no other single food source can provide all the essential fatty acids, essential proteins, & other nutrients in such perfect ratios. Hemp oils & seeds are 2 of the best sources of essential fatty acids. This ratio of fatty acids Omega-6 to Omega-3 (3:1) has been shown to prevent and even reverse Alzheimer?s Disease.
. Polyunsaturated fats have been shown to be beneficial for the prevention of heart disease, and Hemp Seed Oil has one of the highest concentrations of poly unsaturated fats. The US FDA states that plant sterol and stanol esters reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Hemp seed is the only seed with no cholesterol. Hemp Seed Oil also has a very high content of Chlorophyll, which is anti-carcinogenic.
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History
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The oldest relic of human industry is a bit of Hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. Hemp arrived in Colonial America with the Puritans in the form of seed, fiber in the lines, sails and caulking of the Mayflower. Covered wagons were also covered with Hemp canvas; even the very word canvas comes from the Arabic word that means Hemp.
Not only were Presidents Washington and Jefferson both Hemp farmers, they used Hemp products, and praised the Hemp plant in their writings. Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on Hemp paper.
The USDA produced a film called Hemp For Victory to encourage US farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The US government formed War Hemp Industries and subsidized Hemp cultivation. During World War II, US farmers grew about a million acres of Hemp across the Midwest.
Henry Ford recognized the utility of the Hemp plant. He constructed a car of resin- stiffened Hemp fiber, and even burned fuel made from Hemp. Ford knew that Hemp could produce vast economic resources when widely cultivated.
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