- The above title might seem strange for today; however,
it was certainly the case for most of the time that the US was a nation.
From the Revolutionary War to the Second World War, hemp was used for security.
The Founding Fathers all grew hemp, and they exhorted their fellow Americans
to do the same. Thomas Jefferson not only invented a hemp brake, but encouraged
its cultivation for the "wealth and defense" of the nation.
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- A much later administration encouraged extensive
planting of Cannabis sativa, urging patriotic Americans to plant it from
1942 - 1945, implementing a "Hemp for Victory" campaign. During
this period 4-H clubs gave teenagers the opportunity to serve their country
by planting hemp. The US was not the first government to have its citizens
growing cannabis for war; Henry VIII and Elizabeth I of England made statutes
enforcing its growth, and immigrants were rewarded with citizenship if
they supplied good seeds.
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- Today, patriotic Britons and Americans are following
the advice of their more capable leaders; the words of Queen Elizabeth
and George Washington are recognised as tried and true, in contrast to
the words of Tony Blair and George Bush. There are many reasons for reviving
hemp, some which make even more sense in our world of security alerts and
wars over oil. Basically, C. sativa is the world's most useful plant; it
was the world's most traded commodity in the 19th century, one which Napoleon
jealously guarded. This sovereign went to war over it, in the course of
which 300 US ships were confiscated for trading hemp with his enemies.
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- While the French took hemp away from the Americans
at that time, is was Republican lawmakers that took it away in the 20th
century. William Randolph Hearst, calling it all "marijuana"
and associating "marijuana" with psychopathic teenagers who killed
their parents after the first high, used his papers to tell lies, sometimes
paid for by Adolf Hitler. This nonsense appealed to busybodies and bigots
on a lower level, while the more clever players used the lies to pass anti-hemp
legislation. Harry J. Anslinger served the devil well in this regard, and
betrayed his country over and over as Andrew Mellon, his uncle-in-law,
provided silver for his palm.
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- Although it was outlawed, it continued to flourish,
as it is an easy to grow plant that does well under a variety of conditions.
All over the US it sprung up, and the response was to spend lavish sums
of money on chemicals to poison it; many US citizens were thus also poisoned,
but they were merely considered "collateral damage". Obviously,
somebody was once again making money at the expence of the US taxpayer.
Many US taxpayers are tired of the nonsense now, and are striking back
at the treacherous laws against created by America's enemies. The "war
on hemp", by the way, did not eradicate hemp, but it did eradicate
Americans, as the agent used on the plant was dioxin, which the Republican
used on the Vietnamese.
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- For American taking action to protect their nation,
it has been a struggle. As powerful as the anti-hemp idiots came to be,
there was much work to be done. Making people realise the economic importance
of hemp is part of the struggle, and this is not such a difficult part
of it, as hemp has so many uses. It supplies medicine, paper, food, energy,
oil, rope, and clothes.
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- This last use may be the most fun, and many designers
are keen to pick up on it, especially since this is an America friendly
crop that used little or no pesticides. Giorgio Armani, for instance, is
using it and has 2,000 acres under cultivation in Italy. In the Homeland
this is not yet allowed to the free citizens, thanks to Republican lawmakers
who make money while their supporters poison the land with dioxin, mercury
and all kings of other chemical agents. Terrorism from sea to shining sea,
this is what is being committed, and Americans are striking back before
they end up dead or having children with birth defects. In some areas
fishing, for instance, has been prohibited because of such terrible pollution
that the fish are inedible. In such a situation it is no surprise that
sensible Americans are looking to grow hemp, but, at this moment, are forced
to import it from China.
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- Once in the hands of US designers, hemp is now worn
proudly in the land of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. In California,
Mina Hegaard of Minawear Hemp Clothing uses local labour to manufacture
her "made in the USA" cannabis clothing. Her enterprise has been
a struggle to start, but has flourished after several years of hard work.
At present, she hosts a weekly happy hour, every Thursday from 5pm-7pm,
at the Nirvana Ranch outlet where patrons can mingle and see the fruit
of her work and hemp products from around the world.
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- The hemp movement gathers force as models, actors,
and patriots mingle with yoga enthusiasts and environmentalists, and this
is one bit of good news in the world of bad events and economic downturn.
Thank God for hemp and for those willing to stand up for the truth.
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- Kenyon Gibson
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- Gibson is the author of Hemp for Victory: History and
Qualities of the World's Most Useful Plant, now in preparation.
- For further information in regards to hemp, contact mina@minawear.com
or cannabissatival@hotmail.com
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