For centuries, hemp was cultivated in North America for its fibers used in the manufacture of ropes and textiles. However, hemp was eventually banned in the United States due to its relation to marijuana. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was the beginning of the hemp ban, as it made it difficult for farmers to produce hemp. The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 further placed hemp in the same category as marijuana, making it even more difficult to grow.
Nowadays, some state lawmakers are cracking down on smokable hemp due to the difficulty of distinguishing between hemp buds and illegal marijuana products. The bill legalized hemp with certain restrictions and defined hemp as the plant species Cannabis sativa L. However, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 still prohibited the production of industrial hemp during the war on drugs. The main reason why hemp production was banned is because it is made from one of the same plant species (Cannabis sativa) as marijuana.
William Hearst and William DuPont were threatened by hemp because they had a strong interest in using wood to produce paper. Hemp growers grow hemp to produce cannabinoids, such as CBD, which means they grow plants that look like marijuana, smell like marijuana and, increasingly, roll up in joints and smoke like marijuana. Hemp is also used for practical uses, from clothing to concrete, where marijuana has no practical uses. Unfortunately, despite the clear distinction between marijuana and hemp, the propaganda of the 1930s still strongly influences people's view of hemp.
