Back before the conspiracy of how many men were on the grassy knoll, the benefits of legalizing industrial hemp were kept from the American public. According to the article How Hemp Became Illegal we learn the true story:

In September of 1937, hemp prohibition began. Arguably the most useful plant known to man has become illegal to grow and use both in its non THC strain and THC strain called marijuana. To the public, Congress banned hemp because it was said to be a violent and dangerous drug. In reality, Hemp does nothing more than act as an amazing resource to virtually any industry and any product. As you can imagine, this was also a big reason for the ban of Hemp as it was a serious threat to many of the big industries out there. 

The true conspiracy kept from the public was the fact that legalizing industrial hemp, or at the time, continuing to allow farmers to grow hemp, was threatening the corporate leaders raking in the bucks in the plastics, oil and paper industries.

In the 1930’s citizens believed the press, they believed their politicians and so the law passed without incident. However, now – eighty years later, the voting public is much savvier. Through research and actually production results in other countries, we now understand the true benefits of industrial hemp and the over 25,000 products available from this plant.

Legalizing Industrial Hemp – A Change is Coming

With awareness has come change and to date almost 30 states have overturned the ban set on industrial hemp in 1937. In fact the Industrial Hemp Act of 2015 is an active bill set to right the wrong all those years ago.

Passing the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 will provide American farmers with an environmentally sustainable cash crop that farmers can add easily into their rotation and serve as an economic driver for rural communities and businesses.

The National Hemp Association website explains the benefits of passing Industrial Hemp Act of 2015 as follows:

• Enable American farmers to freely import seeds from outside the U.S. to grow millions of acres of American hemp without a need for pesticides or herbicides and using 1/3 the water needed for corn.​
• Help America rebuild a multi-faceted industry, which would generate tens of thousands of jobs for rural farmers and middle income businesses.
• Eliminate the confusion between marijuana and hemp and clarify the myriad of beneficial uses of industrial hemp.
• Clear up the conflicting legal status around the use and sale of products made from hemp extractions.
• End the restrictions surrounding the transportation of seeds and live plants across state boundaries.
• Remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 would amend the Controlled Substances Act to remove industrial hemp from the list of controlled substances. Industrial hemp is produced from the same plant as marijuana, Cannabis sativa L., but is commonly used in clothing, foods, and a variety of other products. Currently industrial hemp is regulated as a form of marijuana. The bill would define industrial hemp based on insignificant levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. It would exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. 

Here is the difference between 1937 and 2016; where once a few men sat in a room, smoking cigars and making decisions for the greater good, now the greater good can collectively overturn those shortsighted, self-serving decisions.

People from around the country are coming together in the quest for legalizing industrial hemp. Several of the Hemp, Inc. team members attended a recent convention in which the current status of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 was discussed.

Check back soon for more detailed information about the current status and what you can do to help. Here is a hint – we need one million signatures – and in the great scheme of things – that is just a drop in the bucket. Together we can make it happen!

As a member of the National Hemp Association, Hemp Inc. asks that you help by also becoming a member and donate to the cause. Each $Dollar$ and signature helps get us closer to legalizing industrial hemp with the Industrial Hemp Farming Act 2015.  The goal is to get this bill passed before the next president takes office.