The Cannabis sativa plant produces more protein, oil and fiber than any other plant on earth. For this reason, cotton fiber, petrochemical, and wood based paper industries began a propaganda campaign which injected fear and ignorance into the masses and kept their hands in control of the market. These industries knew the development of a Hemp market would crush their own market shares, decentralize the power, and drive them out onto the street.
Up until the twentieth century, society widely benefited from the many uses of Hemp. Carl Sagan (famous astronomer) ponders in his book, “The Dragons of Eden,” that Hemp could be the very first purposely grown crop… the root of the agricultural revolution and civilization as we know it today.
Ever come across the word “gruel” while reading some old literature? Hempseed is the sole ingredient in “gruel,” this staple aspect of our ancestors diet. Here’s another interesting fact: Cloth made from hemp fiber was worn by most of the world until the nineteenth century. Nowadays cotton is the dominant source of clothing material.
Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp found at CRRH.org is one of the forefront leaders in the resurrection of Hemp as the solitary source of many of society’s needs.
According to CRRH, “When new technology made mass processing of hemp possible, certain petrochemical, wood based paper and cotton fiber industries protected themselves from competition by recasting hemp as ‘Marijuana.’” Marijuana being a Mexican slang word. “The basis of marijuana prohibition is filled with lies and overt racism.” Industries “…orchestrated a nationwide campaign that played on racism and wildly lurid and inaccurate reports in order to prohibit hemp.” This campaign for misinformation spawned articles calling marijuana, “a deadly drug that caused users to uncontrollably kill family and friends.”
CRRH.org provides a cornucopia of information concerning the benefits of utilizing hemp for industrial purposes.
Forty percent of trees cut down are dedicated to making paper. An article published by Popular Mechanics in 1938 titled, New Billion Dollar Crop, stated “Hemp is the standard fiber of the world. It has great tensile strength and durability. It is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces, and the woody “hurds” remaining after the fiber has been removed contain more than seventy-seven percent cellulose, and can be used to produce more than 25,000 products, ranging from dynamite to Cellophane.”
Hemp’s limitless potential having been foreseen by the threatened industries… with all their monetary and political influence, they controlled the market and kept Hemp on the back burner.
Today we rely on Cotton, which pales in comparison to Hemp in terms of productivity, environmental soundness, and overall quality of the finished product. Cotton grows less than 2 feet tall in a season and is the most pesticide intensive crop (generating a huge amount of pollution), while hemp grows 15 to 25 feet and is virtually pesticide free (since it kills weeds). “Since cotton cannot compete with other weeds and insects when cultivated as a monoculture crop, twenty-eight percent of all pesticides we produce on our planet are applied to the cotton crop.” Compared to cotton, Hemp produces more than a dozen times as much textile fiber.
Here’s an intriguing use of Hemp: the primary bast fiber can compose into a building material that can be stronger then steel. Research at Washington State University’s Wood Science Laboratory in 1993, proved that producing fiberboard from hemp makes this super strong material. So now there’s another industry that could be opposed to Hemp.
The Petroleum industry is perhaps the most threatened by Hemp. They outright fear it. Studies performs at Notre Dame in 1975 indicate that a single acre of hemp, including its fiber production (canvas, rope, lace, linen, paper, and building materials), will produce 300 gallons of oil that can be used for either food or fuel, plus more than three tons of residual presscake, containing substantial nutritional value, including protein. The Cannabis Sativa plant is a veritable goldmine in so many ways.
According to CRRH.org: “We believe that the main reason hemp is illegal today is because of biodiesel’s potential. The first diesel engines (by Rudolph Diesel in 1894) were invented to run on hempseed oil; petroleum wasn’t synthesized to mimic hempseed oil for over a decade. Therefore hempseed oil was the primary fuel for automobiles for over 30 years after the invention of the first internal combustion engine.”
According to CRRH.org, Petroleum is Capital Intensive. This means that in order to start in the industry, you must already have a ridiculous amount of money. “It takes Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to Locate and Pump Petroleum out of the Earth. It takes Tens of Billions of Dollars to Build and Operate a Facility to Refine Petroleum.” This is why the petroleum industry is so exclusive, and so influential. Hempseed oil is extracted cheaply and easily, and its source can be grown in abundance.
CRRH.org goes on to list facts about oil refineries and your health: “Oil refineries dump thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into communities every day! Many toxic chemicals released by refineries into the environment cause cancer, birth defects, and serious health problems. Odors from refineries can be more than a nuisance, such as hydrogen sulfide, which can cause serious health impacts or death.
Leaks in equipment, oil spills, and flares can dump dangerous pollution anywhere”
If Biodiesel were to become the popular fuel, anyone could benefit from the market. CRRH.org explains that the Biodiesel market has very low capital entry requirements and is, therefore, not centralized. Among the benefits of using biodiesel: Economic boom; vegetable seed oil (Biodiesel); run any diesel engine with no engine conversion at all; Biodiesel from hemp, soybean, rapeseed/canola and safflower seed oil saves family farms.
“Return economic control to the people!” proclaims CRRH.org, “Naturally decentralize wealth. Stop global warming. Stop a lot of toxic pollution. Create a useful byproduct: food.”
An entire country has been so blinded by greed as to ignore the immense benefits of mass-producing Hemp for industrial purposes. The nineteenth century until now has been the only period in the history of civilization where Hemp was not a crucial characteristic of everyday life. Hemp provides one of the most balanced food sources, the strongest materials (with a myriad of uses), and the cleanest burning fuel. Imagine the possibilities.
Interested in Hemp? Educate yourself on the web. Visit the following websites: www.crrh.org or www.hemp.org to find all the information your could ever need.