From the encounter between Hemp and America, to the evolution of their relationship

From the encounter between Hemp and America, to the evolution of theirrelationship


America's founding fathers were hemp connoisseurs.

When Christopher Columbus landed, hemp was the second most common material used in shipbuilding. In fact, three of Columbus's ships had hemp sails and ropes.

As for the Founding Fathers, George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were all avid hemp farmers.
Benjamin Franklin produced his own hemp paper and the first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence were also written on hemp paper.

The ban on hemp is largely attributed to three specific individuals; Richard Nixon, Harry J. Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst.

Si la guerre contre la drogue est le résultat de la campagne du président Richard Nixon en 1973, la diabolisation du chanvre a commencé un demi-siècle auparavant. W.R. Hearst était le propriétaire du plus grand groupe de presse des années 1920 et possédait également de vastes étendues forestières. On dit que Hearst craignait la culture du chanvre, notamment en raison de son potentiel industriel et de ses usages multiples, dont l’extraction de composés comme le CBD issus de certaines variétés modernes de la plante.

While trees can take up to 80 years to grow, hemp crops can be harvested in just four months. Hemp also contains less lignin and higher concentrations of cellulose - making hemp a far more viable source of paper than trees.
Knowing that hemp would pose a serious threat to its industry, as well as to its property values, Hearst embarked on a relentless anti-cannabis propaganda campaign.

In an attempt to demonize cannabis, Hearst popularized the name "marijuana" in order to create an amalgam and associate hemp with drugs, presenting it in a negative light.

This cleverly orchestrated demonization eventually led to marijuana being placed on Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.