Miracle Fiber or Dangerous Drug?
Dear EarthTalk: A number of products, including paper and clothing–even food and beer–are made from hemp. What is it about hemp that makes it so versatile–and why is it illegal to grow in the United States? Is it also illegal in Canada? — Doug Jones, via e-mail What did the first Gutenberg bible, Christopher Columbus ropes and sails, the Declaration of Independence and the first American flag have in common? All were made from hemp. Indeed, many of America s forefathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, earned a living at one point in their lives growing and selling hemp, which was used to make everything from paper to rope to sails to clothing. During World War II, the crop was of such strategic importance for making clothing that the U.S. government provided farmers with subsidies to convert other types of fields over to hemp cultivation. The Many Uses of Hemp Hemp is a renewable and easy-to-grow crop that is tough enough to substitute for paper or wood and malle
