Hemp as a Sustainable Resource
Hemp as a Sustainable Resource: Why is it Illegal to Grow in the United States
The global population continues to grow at an exceedingly rapid rate. Therefore, use for versatile and sustainable resources is becoming imperative in order to retain the capacity to support humanity. More important is the ability to adapt to a system that can do it all while minimizing any negative effects on the environment. In ecology, sustainability can be described as the ability for a system to maintain balance of processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity for future generations. For humans to live sustainably, we must adjust our way of life so that Earth’s resources are used at a rate at in which they can be replenished for continued and future use. A plant with over 50,000 functions and can lead us to a more sustainable system should be utilized then, right? Hemp can be this answer. Moreover, hemp could be the “ultimate green crop”--a low-input and low-impact yield that can play a significant role in our desperate struggle as we attempt to combat catastrophic environmental change.
Today in the United States, there is still much controversy over legislation that prohibits legalizing agriculture production of hemp for industrial use because of hemp’s association with marijuana. For politicians, the dispute seems to be that many believe the relationship between industrial hemp and marijuana is too closely related. In the United States, hemp production became illegal and prohibited in 1937 after the Marijuana Tax Act defined hemp as a narcotic drug (Nelson). Although the Act specifically targeted marijuana, industrial hemp cultivation declined exponentially due to increased federal regulation, economic pressure from extremely high taxes and licensing, and pressures from society.
However, historically it was not always this way. Going back to the days of our founding fathers, many of our earliest presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson all
The global population continues to grow at an exceedingly rapid rate. Therefore, use for versatile and sustainable resources is becoming imperative in order to retain the capacity to support humanity. More important is the ability to adapt to a system that can do it all while minimizing any negative effects on the environment. In ecology, sustainability can be described as the ability for a system to maintain balance of processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity for future generations. For humans to live sustainably, we must adjust our way of life so that Earth’s resources are used at a rate at in which they can be replenished for continued and future use. A plant with over 50,000 functions and can lead us to a more sustainable system should be utilized then, right? Hemp can be this answer. Moreover, hemp could be the “ultimate green crop”--a low-input and low-impact yield that can play a significant role in our desperate struggle as we attempt to combat catastrophic environmental change.
Today in the United States, there is still much controversy over legislation that prohibits legalizing agriculture production of hemp for industrial use because of hemp’s association with marijuana. For politicians, the dispute seems to be that many believe the relationship between industrial hemp and marijuana is too closely related. In the United States, hemp production became illegal and prohibited in 1937 after the Marijuana Tax Act defined hemp as a narcotic drug (Nelson). Although the Act specifically targeted marijuana, industrial hemp cultivation declined exponentially due to increased federal regulation, economic pressure from extremely high taxes and licensing, and pressures from society.
However, historically it was not always this way. Going back to the days of our founding fathers, many of our earliest presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson all