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World War II and Hemp

6/12/2015

1 Comment

 
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So ... finding those "Make Do and Mend" films from World War II lead me to a film called "Hemp for Victory" from the same time.

Hemp, apparently, is a wonder crop. It's fibers make superior ropes and durable clothing and the seeds are good to eat and full of nutrition. It good for the soil and prevents weeds. What's not to like?

BUT!  It's illegal to grow in the US, because it is closely related to Marijuana. They are both called cannabis, although the stuff that makes people high is very, very low in hemp. HA!

This is how the current US laws on growing hemp are described on Wikipedia.

Hemp was made illegal to grow without a permit in the U.S. under the Controlled Substances Act passed in 1970 because of its relation to marijuana,[6] and any imported hemp products must meet a zero tolerance level.[citation needed] Some states have made the cultivation of industrial hemp legal, but farmers in North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, California, Montana, West Virginia and Vermont have not yet begun to grow it because of resistance from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.[citation needed] In 2013, after the legalization of marijuana in the state, several farmers in Colorado planted and harvested several acres of hemp, bringing in the first hemp crop in the United States in over half a century.[82] Colorado,[83]Vermont, California, and North Dakota have passed laws enabling hemp licensure. All four states are waiting for permission to grow hemp from the DEA. Currently,[84] North Dakota representatives are pursuing legal measures to force DEA approval.[85]Oregon has licensed industrial hemp as of August 2009.[86] Congress included a provision in the Agricultural Act of 2014 that allowed colleges and state agencies to grow and conduct research on hemp in states where it is legal.[6]

This link will take you to the Wikipedia page about hemp. It is so interesting. It can even be used for building materials!
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This is the kind of permit people had to get during WWII to grow hemp legally.

We can buy clothing and fabric made from hemp here in the United States, but it all seems to be grown in China ... sigh.

WELL, I have decided to buy some hemp fabric and make myself something.

This will be a project I will share on this blog, step by step.


In the Mean time, watch this film. It's interesting.
1 Comment
Genie
6/12/2015 01:04:11 am

Dharma Trading carries hemp and hemp blend fabrics.

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    From Andrea 

    I am a commercial pattern maker who is now "sewing over 50"!
    I love to sew and hope to encourage others to come back to sewing.
    The water is fine!!

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