Waking Times – by Becca Wolford
For thousands of years industrial hemp was a common staple. It fed us, clothed us, housed us, sailed our ships with hemp rope and sails, it was part of our livelihood.
Then, in the early 1900s, it was banned and pushed aside.
Why? Why did this wonderful, useful plant get labeled with a criminal stamp?
Around the turn of the 20th century companies like DuPont created chemicals that were used in processing of paper; DuPont also created chemicals used for pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, which were used extensively by the cotton industry (cotton is MUCH more chemical and water intensive compared to hemp). While this was going on, William Randolph Hearst invested in timber and mills to produce the paper for his newspaper, which was the largest chain in the U.S. at the time. His investments in the timber industry were backed by Mellon Bank.
The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury at that time was Andrew Mellon, who happened to own Mellon Bank (and was one of the backers for DuPont as well). Mellon’s niece was married to Harry Anslinger who, incidentally, was connected to the alcohol prohibition campaign. He was out of a job (as were everyone else in that sector of the federal government) after the alcohol prohibition ended. To keep his family employed, Mellon created a new division of the federal government, the Bureau of Narcotics, and made Harry Anslinger the new head of that program.
Also during this time machinery was being developed to make hemp processing easier and more efficient. This was a threat to the paper, chemical, timber, and petroleum industries. Pharmaceutical companies were creating new medicines and drugs and were also threatened by the natural healing properties of the plant we know as hemp.
Harry Anslinger began looking into rumors of the Mexican population smoking the flowers of the hemp plant. Because racism was quite rampant at that time, Anslinger played on that and used the Mexican slang, marijuana, in place of the word ‘hemp’. He spread lies and rumors about blacks and Mexicans becoming violent while smoking it and also labeled it as a narcotic.
Hearst’s newspapers spread the slander and propogated stories about the ‘evil marijuana’ and of people committing rapes and murder while ‘under the influence’ of marijuana. This, of course, had the papers selling like wildfire, but they failed to mention the everyday uses of the hemp (rope, fuel, textiles, food).
After the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act was passed, Harry Anslinger ordered the hemp prohibition, using the excuse that his agents wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between hemp and marijuana, and that the farming of hemp made it too difficult to enforce the marijuana prohibition.
In 1942 the hemp prohibition was put on hold to allow farmers to grow hemp to provide the needed fibers to aid in the war effort. After the war, when the hemp was no longer needed, the Air Force and Marines were ordered to destroy all remaining hemp crops.
To this day, the ‘war on hemp’ is still in full force. However, more people are learning about the vast benefits of hemp – for food, medicinal purposes, textiles, fuel, and tens of thousands of other uses.
It’s time to let nature’s perfect plant flourish again. No more dependence on foreign oil; a return to natural, plant-based remedies for illnesses and diseases; no more petroleum based plastics; less dependency on chemicals that are harming our environment and health.
NOW is the time for HEMP to return.
About the Author
Becca Wolford is a writer, entrepreneur, artist, reiki practitioner, and hemp activist. She has experienced first-hand the nutritional and healing benefits of hemp and her passion is learning, writing, and educating others about the benefits of hemp – benefits that encompass nutritional health for humans, a healthy environment, and a healthier economy.
Becca also distributes Versativa, an amazing raw, clean, hemp-based nutritional supplement andRestoration90, a raw, clean, nutritional product with marine phytoplankton, hemp, and essential nutrients for optimum health. Please support her at her excellent blog Hemphealer.com.
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2012/06/27/the-hemp-conspiracy-why-u-s-hemp-farming-was-banned/
Yep, that Anslinger was a real peice of work wasn`t he. I also heard that he was a clan member and that the black slaves were smoking the plant and ya know that he just couldn`t have that, ya know the blacks smoking that marijuana………. Yes around here in Wi you can still see where they used to grow hemp, it isn`t worth smoking but it is a realy nice looking plant though. They used to grow acres and acres of it here.:)
I can see it all now digger, miles of hemp as far as the eye can see, requiring no herbicides, and providing environmentally safe energy and medicinal solutions, as well as, an alternative for plastic and textiles. It sounds like god made hemp for the benefit of mankind. Let’s smoke one and think about it.
Yep Millard. In fact I got mr. glass bowl filled and ready to go.LOL. I`ll be calling it a night soon, imagine that eh guys. Anyway before I do not say it – Good night ya`ll, hope to see everybody tomorrow. 🙂
From what I gathered, it was both DuPont and Hearst that was behind the film “Reefer Madness.” Its sole purpose was to demonize the plant in the public’s subconscious mind. Therefore making it easier to pass laws against it.
The demonization of the world’s most useful weed for the survival of mankind was accomplished by propagandists (remember “Reefer Madness”) to enrich themselves by eliminating cheaper and more environmentally safe competition. Psychopaths at the rudder with no regard for anyone or anything that stands in the way of their insatiable greed and lust for power. People that exhibit this type of behavior will be dealt with in the only fair manner. Execution by hanging. (Hemp rope of course)!
The propagandist movie “Reefer Madness” makes a great Sunday matinee comedy to watch. It’s accessible on bolshivek tube and other sites. My favorite character is the piano player.
I have it on dvd. A classic, to be sure. 🙂
It is comical, yes? Too bad so many took it as gospel truth…
Thank you for sharing my article and spreading the word!!
You just keep doing articles Becca. Yep Becca we all cannot get enough of articles like this – atleast me and my bro`s and sisters. 🙂 Hey post some of your articles eh Becca. I would love to read more as I cannot get enough info on this subject and other nutritional things as hemp and I also have first hand experience with hemp and herb. I believe that it has saved my life and others that have known me would testify to that fact also along with some Dr.s if they were still alive. I am still in those Dr.s records though :).
So happy to have found a fellow hemp lover! If you want to see more, I invite you to check out my blog: http://www.hemphealer.com (in case you haven’t seen it yet)! Plenty of food for the mind and body!
Becca, the majority of the articles posted here (other than those written by Henry or other posters) come from other sites, so if you send any that you’ve written directly to him, I believe there’s a fair possibility that he will post them for you.
Hmmm, I’ve not written directly, today was the first day that I found out my article was on here. I may see about get more posted. Thank you!
Check out the other articles posted on this site, if you’re not afraid of the truth/reality.
I must warn you though, it’s not for the fainthearted.
Oh, I’ll check the other articles out, I’m definitely more ‘open’ than many. No ‘faintheartedness’ here 😉
OUTSTANDING, Becca! That’s what we like to hear! Looking forward to more articles from you, and comments on other articles too, hopefully. 🙂
Thank you! Enjoying my new family already 😉
Aw, thank you Becca, 🙂 I do appreciate it. It will most likely be on my favorites list. P.S. Like #1 said @ 4:23 above you can post I am sure and I am sure we all would love to see your articles. And I also would like to thank #1 for bringing that up to you Becca.
Thank you ALL 🙂
You are most welcome Becca. Hope we all here see more of ya here eh. Thanks again Becca. 🙂 A big smilley face for ya kiddo 🙂
Diggerdan? Kiddo? I might be older than you 😉 LOL!
Not judging by the photo with your comments, Becca. Digger’s a year younger than I am, and I just turned 60 on the 3rd. (although I really don’t look it, youthful looks run in my family). 🙂
Come on now, Becca @ 4:58 🙂 , I have to think we are probobly the same age group. I just call a lot of people kiddo :), I try to make up to feel young again – dare I say kiddo to ya again, just kidding there Becca. LOL I am glad to be in your presences Becca 🙂 . P.S. Yea I am a old boy and we can joke about it I hope eh Becca. I won`t say Kiddo anymore to ya OK. 🙂 Aw – shut up digger, now I`m talking to myself hehehe hawhawhaw – ya got me going Becca 🙂 I am glad to see ya here and I hope you feel at home here. 🙂 🙂
Haha! No worries! I’ll be 50 this year, and enjoying my new ‘childhood’ that I’ve found with the internet, blogging, and networking! Kiddo is actually quite fine with me! Keeps me feeling young 🙂
🙂 Thank you Becca. People know me here on FTTWR pretty good and I do hope that you also get to know me as I wouldn`t hurt a fly – well maybe swat a skeeter LOL I better stop rambling I guess Becca. I am sure at least that we will be friends I hope 🙂 Time to twist up one big fatty 🙂
Enjoy!
Hey Becca, I am very pleased to have you join us on FTTWR. I just checked out your blog and it was soon added to my favorites list. Welcome!
Thank you very much!!!
Thank you Becca for your insightful article that exposes the greedy forces behind the hemp conspiracy. I firmly believe hemp will play a major part in our recovery from the carcinogenic fossil fuel industry.
As do I 🙂