Hemp production has been a part of the United States since its inception, with Presidents Washington and Jefferson growing hemp in the Colonial Era and the Principles of the Republic. Hemp was so integral to the United States that taxes could be paid on hemp for more than 150 years. However, in 1937, with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act, hemp production was banned across the United States. In recent years, state legislatures have taken steps to establish state-licensed hemp programs and promote hemp as an agricultural product.
Hemp can be used to create a wide range of products, including fibers, textiles, paper, building and insulation materials, cosmetic products, animal feed, food and beverages. Hemp is generally distinguished from marijuana by its lower concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). State policymakers have considered several political issues when it comes to hemp production, such as the definition of hemp, licensing of producers, regulation and certification of seeds, state commissions and legal protection of producers. At least 47 states have enacted laws to establish hemp production programs or allow research on hemp cultivation.
Before the War of Independence, many of the colonies were legally required to grow hemp to return it to England, creating an industry around the harvest that ultimately led to it being used as a currency and method for paying taxes. During World War II, the United States government published a pro-hemp documentary called Hemp for Victory which encouraged farmers across the Midwest and Southeast to grow hemp to support the war effort. The USDA introduced the Hemp for Victory campaign which encouraged farmers to grow hemp for raw materials for rope and canvas since the United States could not obtain it from Asia during the war. After World War II, hemp was cultivated very irregularly until 1957 when the United States saw its last commercial production.
In 1998, Canada legalized hemp production and farmers in North Dakota and Minnesota began to wonder why their neighbors on the other side of the border could grow hemp but they couldn't. In addition, individual states continue to pass laws that facilitate the cultivation of hemp and the production and sale of CBD supplements within their borders. The rule re-emphasizes an earlier USDA ruling that interstate transportation is legal even if the shipment travels through a state that does not allow hemp cultivation. Today, new infrastructure is growing to help farmers harvest and process their crops while new people discover hemp and CBD every day.
