Wimmer 1

William Wimmer
Dr. John Todd
PSCI 4020 City Politics
4/29/2013
Hemp for Victory!
This nation has a strong desire for a world that is sustainable in both growth and
environmental Hemp or in scientific terms cannabis ruderalis has been demonized for its minute
amounts of the chemical delta nine tetrahydrocannibinol or THC which causes mild
psychological effects on the brain. THC can be found in cannabis sativa or cannabis indica and
is the main ingredient in the sought after high from marijuana. Industrial grade hemp has
historically been a widely used product in many diverse throughout the world. Hemp is illegal
here in the United States in all forms but should be separated and made legal for non-drug use.
Hemp can be used to replace materials to make the many products either less harmful to the
environment, higher quality overall, or just closer to home. Cannabis ruderalis should be made
legal in America or else our economy will continue on its insatiable oil dependent trend.
While Hemp does have THC the main psychoactive ingredient it is at the levels of non-alcoholic
beer. The amount of THC is so low that you would need to consume over one thousand pounds
or more to feel any sensation. The association with cannabis sativa and idica has kept hemp
illegal in America. It is actually legal to own products made 100% of hemp but they have to
have been made outside the country. Some people say the products are for a niche audience and
will be subject to volatile demand. The fact of the matter is that hemp has been around for as

Wimmer 2

long as the first colonies.

Brief history
Until 1883, more than 75% of the worlds paper was made with hemp fiber. In 1937
Popular Science magazine called hemp the New Billion Dollar Crop. Then the special interest
groups came on the scene to protect cotton and timber industry by making the competition
illegal. Newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst led the crusade to ban hemp. Hearst
owned millions of acres of prime timber land and a machine that simplified the process of
making paper from hemp had just been invented that would bring significant competition to his
timber interests. Hearst used his power as a publisher to create public panic about the evils of
hemp and marijuana. Another big money player Pierre DuPont held patent rights to the sulfuric
acid wood pulp paper process. IN 1937 DuPont patented nylon rope made from synthetic
petrochemicals. The special interest groups would lay the path that all cities would come to rely
of oil based products and environmental pollution. In 1937 the news scare and misinformation
campaign resulted in the marijuana tax act which placed a ridiculous tax on hemp plant which so
many people abandoned the farming of it. The low output increased the price and severely hurt
the development of the other products that stem from hemp. Hemp was briefly re-legalized
during W.W. II. The United States government even produced the movie Hemp for Victory to
encourage farmers to grow hemp. Even 4H clubs were asked to grow hemp to help their country
in wartime.
Diesel Engine
Henry Ford invented the diesel engine and intended to run it on a fuel derived from hemp
oil. The engine was invented back in 1892, hemp oil puts out about the same amount of co2 that

Wimmer 3

hemp plants absorb resulting in a closed carbon cycle. If cars could all be converted to run on
hemp oil the demand for domestic hemp would be so enormous jobs would spring up all over the
country. Not only would we be energy dependent and not have to rely on foreign sources of fuel
but we would be helping the environment. America could lead the world with cities being run on
hemp oil which could result in every city being like the Detroit of old. Factorys could produce
new more sustainable cars that would clean up the air. Even the tractors in hemp farms could be
run on hemp oil.
Building Material
Hemp is an incredible building material that can come in many forms and functions.
Hemp can be mixed with limestone and water to create a hemp-concrete or hemp Crete that is
much stronger and longer lasting than traditionally mixed concrete which breaks down much
quicker than hemp Crete. The hemp Crete is actually carbon negative it pulls carbon dioxide out
of the air and strengthens the wall over time. A bridge has been discovered in France that was
built in 600 A.D. with hemp and limestone. (10) Hemp Crete also uses less water than regular
concrete saving water for people instead of building roads and bridges and more water to grow
hemp. Hemp Crete is also a much lighter material making it easier to move during construction.
Hemp Crete would help cities to transform into homes that will last for generations without
property value decreasing due to typical weathering effects. The roads are the most significant
feature that the cities can begin to overhaul and dramatically decrease costs of maintenance. 12%
of all bridges in the United States are deemed deficient (11) cities across the nation are having to
constantly repair infrastructure. In inventor of hemp Crete David Madera notes its a breathable
material; its non-toxic; it can never have mold, it can never have mildew. It petrifies over time so
the walls actually get harder over time so instead of lasting 30 years it lasts for 600. Maders

Wimmer 4

continues with 50% of our landfills are populated with construction materials. Cement has 10%
to 15% waste for every block poured. Hemp can just be left on the job as fertilizer as you mix
the hemp into hemp Crete on the job there is no waste. But building materials are not the limit of
hemp.
Oil
Hemp oil can also be made into anything petroleum can so every plastic nonrenewable
item could instead be made of hemp which has one hundred percent recyclability. Hemp plastic
is also biodegradable and does not leave bpa in its water bottles. Hemp plastic would further
entrench green technology into our nations wounded economy as well as prevent monolithic
trash piles from accumulating. Hemp can replace plastic in every single way so what do we have
to lose? Even when plastic eventually photo degrades the chemicals are released into the
atmosphere or the soil and water ways poising us from even the landfills. There is an enormous
plastic floating trash island in the ocean twice the size of Texas quickly amassing from the
enormous amount of plastic waste we produce every day. Hemp can replace rubber tires, to
plastic medical supplies as well as everyday plastic bags and even solid car panels. The plastic
car panels made for henry fords car were up to twenty times stronger and twice as light as steel.
They must not have been a fan of crumple zones. Ford even demonstrates the strength by
swinging an axe at the hood of a car and fails to create the slightest dent. Hiddenmysteries.org
reports that the only steel was in the frame of the car; even the windows were a clear solution of
hemp and other plants.
Cotton

Wimmer 5

Cotton can also be fully replaced by hemps stalk. One acre of hemp can produce as much
as two or three acres of cotton, hemp. Hemp is four times warmer than cotton, and more water
absorbent, and possesses three times the tinsel strength of cotton. It is also many times more
durable and is flame retardant. Hemp can be mixed with silk or other linens to change the
quality. Hemp also blocks more harmful UV rays than cotton does. As I read on druglibrary.org
cotton production uses half of the pesticides in America. Hemps minimal use of pesticides is due
to the fact that hemp grows so quickly and with such bushy leafs that weeds are shadowed from
receiving sun light and die naturally. This reduction in chemicals would save countless lives that
perish from chemical poising of the water ways.
Paper
Hemp is clearly superior when it comes to paper production over wood pulp based paper.
Purdue.edu reported that hemp can produce as much as four times the yield as one acre of trees
which would take fifteen to twenty years to grow a mature acre while hemp can be harvested
several times a year. Hemp can be recycled ten times before being too rough for paper, wood can
only be recycled twice without adding more wood fiber. China the first country to grow hemp
and use it for paper is still doing it today. Some believe china is price setting hemp lower than
market value in order to dissuade other countries from developing their own hemp markets. The
original Gutenberg bible was printed on hemp paper as well as the US constitution.
Deforestation has been a major problem throughout the world and switching to hemp paper
would save us so many forests helping to rejuvenate the atmosphere. Making wood paper also
uses tons of chemicals that end up in our waterways and drinking water. Not to mention the
workers in the paper mill who are subject to the toxic chemicals. Hemp treated paper takes
hardly any chemicals at all.

Wimmer 6

Food
Hemp is the only plant on earth that has all the essential amino acids. A person could literally
live on the seed making it into a cereal or a kind of gruel/oatmeal concoction. The plant is truly
miraculous and its low input makes it a great crop to cycle in the off seasons simply for the soil
rejuvenation that hemp is able to do. Hemps roots go much deeper and further than other plants
freeing up the soil to be enriched by nutrients. It is a shame that more efforts to grow food on
unused land have not been taken by the government despite their efforts of food stamps and other
types of welfare. The plant has such a low need for cultivation that it can be planted and
neglected but still thrive, this would be wise to simply spread the seed down the sides of
highways to have a free source of food or whatever product we should want from hemp.
Dire Straits
Currently we spend billions prohibiting the growth and sale of hemp but the cost of
enforcement could be small compared to the potential benefit of an engaged hemp market.
America could be making money on the taxes from hemp industry rather than constant waste
fighting hemp which is helping no one. The constitution does not allow for the government to
outlaw things without an amendment but the tax increase done at the state levels made the plan
to demonize hemp legitimate. The federal government eventually passed laws and created
bureas to destroy hemp but people are waking up to the losses occurred by not being able to farm
hemp.
If we fail to legalize hemp, Americans will continue to desecrate the earth in search for
resources that could be provided by with one little plant. The solution is here and action can be
taken this moment, American legislation is confusing so we need mass awareness to spread

Wimmer 7

throughout our society and thus our representative congress. Hemp can be made legal but the
public needs to be informed if quick and decisive action is to be taken by the higher authorities.
If people just started to buy hemp products for their ecofriendly benefits the market would react.
Consumers vote every time they purchase a product by saying this is what I support. If people
only knew they could support the future of a green America by switching to hemp I believe a lot
of people would. Fuel, fiber and building material we can lead the future with a green
revolution.
Barriers:
There are real barriers besides the simple legality. Hemp has to be dried or cured for the
right time in the right weather. Facilities just are not there to handle industrial quantities at the
moment. This is due to low demand and the lack of research. With a concept like replacing oil it
is surprising the government has not already taken measures to incorporate hemp into our fuel
like ethanol. Ethanol from corn has been integrated into almost all fuel but corn only produces a
fraction of the biomass that hemp provides. In the UK there is a company called bioregional
which has successfully produced hemp fiber on a commercial scale. The hemp they make is for
insulation and car parts but they are pushing for the least energy, water , and chemical intensive
process to produce the hemp.
New Urbanism
New Urbanism is a style that many cities have adopted that incorporates multiple use
land like a loft above a store. This high utility land has been focused around limiting driving and
increase the ability for people to walk to where they are going or to take the mass transit. This is
all great for the environment. New Urbanism can take it to the next level by implementing hemp

Wimmer 8

into their buildings and roads and use hemp to fuel the little driving that takes place. Another
obstacle is that hemp is so much stronger that it will need better machines to spin the thread for
fiber. Todays machines lose a lot of the quality of hemp unlike when it is delicately hand sown.
Necessity being the mother of invention new processes will be invented and perfected allowing
the wonder crop to break through these barriers. New urbanism could certainly take off as many
cities are reluctant to take up this model of growth because new urbanism has a large focus on
reduction of automobiles necessity. New urbanism could have several branches that make it a
more accommodating option for a city to build on. With cars being run on hemp oil cities will
not have to make sacrifices for their motorist and still have a more environmentally friendly city.
As well as restructure some areas like the downtown for its multi-use buildings.
Current Attempts by Cities
A recent look of the attempts of hemp based living as happening in the city of pine ridge,
South Dakota. They have attempted to use hemp to build homes and to harvest for food but the
government is constantly watching their activity and has raided their fields several times by the
DEA (9)The area is inhabited by the Lakota Sioux of South Dakota who are trying to go back to
a land based way of living. The Sioux are going to build their homes from hemp and gather food
from the crop as well. The people of Pine ridge are also investigating ways to fuel their vehicles
and tractors. The federal government continues to harass the Indians, despite them not growing
marijuana and not doing anything illegal. The federal governments prohibition of hemp makes
it difficult to begin the journey towards an energy independent America but with hard working
people and principled fighters who can stand their ground against tyranny anything can happen.

Wimmer 9

The UK has estimated that half of their carbon dioxide emissions come from the heating
and running of residential and commercial buildings. There is an urgent need to reduce these
numbers and many high tech and low tech options have presented them. The high tech methods
are expensive to implement such as devices that carefully control temperature and easier low
tech methods like hemp buildings. Hemp as we discussed is a better insulator for homes keeping
it cool in the summer but warm in the winter, with minimal air conditioning compared to
traditional homes . The United Kingdom has annual issues with water conservation as do we
here in Texas. Instead of having to limit our consumption with such scrutiny we could be more
proactive in growing plants that use less water and using those same plants to build roads at less
water costs. The benefits of hemp always seem to multiply themselves.
The hockerton housing project in the UK (8) built homes that used a quarter of the energy
needed for powering a traditional home. The hockerton homes were built from hemp using large
windows to capture the heat from the sun with huge walls that absorb and release it throughout
the night making the heating and cooling a more passive solution than blasting the air
conditioner. Another similar housing project was built in Scotland that now houses over 350
people. Sustainable living on the city scale is yet to be realized but the technology is catching up
for a future of green living. Just like we saw in the 19th century industrial revolution we could
witness a second coming of industry that instead of filling the air with smog could clean up the
air and fill the land with plants that will reverse the carbon emissions upper ward production.
North Dakota became the first state to legalize hemp in America in 1999. Kentucky has
recently joined many other states that have joined the effort. The DEA and the federal
government have continued to destroy these farms and persecute those who are planting the
hemp seed. The individual efforts will mean a great deal to this country when one day we are all

Wimmer 10

fueling our cars on hemp diesel. There is no magic bullet that will stop pollution everywhere but
hemp is a step in the right direction that can be cultivated worldwide. Even those in the harshest
environments of Africa could grow hemp bringing food, clothing, fuel and shelter to the area.
Not to mention the side effects of more plants is more rain, through plant trepidation moisture is
released into the atmosphere which could spring board a desolate area over a few years into a
thriving area with abundant plant life.
Hawaii has recently begun looking into hemp. Hawaii was for a long time the leading
expert on sugar and pineapple cultivation and they wish to lead the way to a future of hemp
agriculture and new avenues of industry(7). Perhaps if the islands of paradise want hemp this
could send a message to people in the continental states that hemp is a product worth researching
and could possibly be the key to the future of a green and sustainable earth.
Guyette, Curt. facts and factoids. Henry Fords Hemp car: Hiddenmysteries Conspiracy
archive. Web. 15 april 2013. http://www.hiddenmysteries.org/conspiracy/facts/fordhemp.html.
hemp a new crop in north America. Purdue.edu. web
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/pdf/small.pdf.
Julin, Brian S.frequently asked questions about cannabis hemp. Frequentlly asked questions
about hemp. Web. 4 april 2013
Roulac, John W. Hemp Horizons: The comeback of the worlds most promising plant. Vermont:
Chelsea Green, 1997. P11
XPRess. hemp crete technology. Mountainxpress. Xpress, Web 29 April 2013.

Wimmer 11

http://www.mountainx.com/article 38303/the-swannanoa-journal-hemp-crete-technology.
7) West, David. Hawaii begins hemp experiments. Honolulu. University of Hawaii. Dec. 1999
8 Seyfang, Gill. Building a low-carbon future. Norwich: Elsevier press, 2009
9 Weinburg, Bill. The ogala Lakota fight federal obstruction. Ithaca: Akwe Press, 2001. P 11
10 http://books.google.com/books?
id=w8N4DwMb19oC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=600+ad+hemp+bridge&source=bl&ots=ijcY
YQLlwL&sig=wP-7fYi0aTdyIUooSqnKuy4Lt-w&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8Ql-UfGdBfH2wX3q4DoAQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=600%20ad%20hemp
%20bridge&f=false
11 condition of U.S. Road Bridges by state, 2006,burueau of transportation statistics, U.S.
Department of transportation
Bong. James. James Bong's Ultimate SpyGuide to Marijuana Colorado: Free world ltd. Pg 60