The Most Powerful Nation on the Planet is Keeping the Most Sustainable Fiber Hostage

Hemp was supposed to save the world—or at least that's what Popular Mechanics thought in the 1930s before it was made a Schedule 1 substance. Though mostly legalized in 2018, the Farm Bill underwent another amendment in May 2024 that continues to prevent hemp from reaching its potential as a billion-dollar crop.

Though intended to restrict THC-heavy cannabis, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively destroyed industrial hemp farming—first in the United States, then in countries that followed America's example.

 

What came next is remembered as the era of Reefer Madness. According to Attorney and Professor Courtney Moran, who works at both state and federal levels for legislation; “In 1937, the marijuana tax act was put in place. And what that did was levy a tax on different activities regarding Cannabis sativa. And there were different levels of fines or not fines of taxes put forward. And it was just another hurdle. It was burdensome. And it wasn't really intended to create hurdles for true industrial or true medical cannabis use. But the effect was really just kind of, in stating this, like blanket prohibition against the cultivation of any cannabis domestically.”

Public perception started changing. We entered the Reefer Madness era which was a campaign to instill fear among cannabis consumers, or thinking that they're going to try it. But what was hurt the most was the billion dollar cash crop that has incredible properties and uses.

“You can make fuel, biodiesel, ethanol, you can produce batteries,” says Professor Moran, “remember the original dollar, the first dollars used in the United States was made from hemp beacuse it is known to be more durable than its fellows.”

• Hemp absorbs twice as much carbon per hectare of land than a forest does, and hemp-derived products can be used to replace paper, petroleum-based plastics, and cotton fibers.

• The U.S. hemp market was reported to be worth $824 million in 2021. By 2030, the global hemp market is predicted to be worth $17.24 billion.

  • According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute

As a versatile renewable resource, hemp offers remarkable sustainability benefits when cultivated through regenerative agriculture practices. The crop yields thousands of diverse products while strengthening local economies - creating domestic jobs and reducing dependence on global supply chains across America.

From an agricultural perspective, hemp is a remarkably efficient crop. It yields 3-6 tons per acre on standard farmland and can thrive in any U.S. state. Its versatile growing season allows for planting after other crops, while its deep root system naturally improves soil quality for future plantings. Growing up to twelve feet tall with dense foliage, hemp naturally suppresses weed growth. The plant is so effective at soil restoration that just two growing cycles can rehabilitate land previously abandoned due to invasive weeds like Canadian thistles or quack grass.

Hemp stands as one of the world's most versatile natural fibers. Its exceptional strength and longevity make it ideal for manufacturing thousands of products. The fiber itself is used in over 5,000 textile applications - everything from sturdy ropes to delicate laces. Even more impressive, the woody core (hurds) left after fiber extraction contains 77% cellulose and serves as raw material for over 25,000 different products, spanning from industrial materials like dynamite to everyday items like Cellophane.

 

While many believe linen comes exclusively from flax, hemp actually accounts for more than half of imported linen fabrics. Similarly, burlap primarily comes from jute, not hemp as some might think. Other natural fibers like sisal, sourced from the Yucatan and East Africa, are commonly used for products like binder twine.

These products could be manufactured domestically using American-grown hemp instead of relying on imports. From fishing nets and canvas to clothing and household linens, countless everyday items could be produced on U.S. soil. In today's terms, this represents billions in potential domestic revenue that currently goes to overseas manufacturers through fabric and fiber imports. Our imports of foriegn fabrics and fibers average about $200,000,000 per year; in raw fibers alone we imported over $50,000,000 in the first six months of 1937.

The distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana is significant. While hemp contains minimal THC and is grown for industrial use, marijuana is cultivated specifically for its psychoactive properties. With proper regulatory frameworks that acknowledge this difference, hemp could become a valuable asset to American agriculture and industry, creating new opportunities for sustainable manufacturing and economic growth.

Still, in May 2024, the House Committee on Agriculture introduced a significant roadblock for the hemp industry. Rep. Mary Miller's (R-IL) amendment to the Farm Bill would ban products with THC levels at or above 0.3% - a threshold that affects many agricultural hemp products. While the bill faces an uncertain future in the House and significant opposition in the Senate, industry supporters from both parties are working to prevent this restrictive legislation from passing.

Rep. Mary Miller said in a press release, “I am ... proud my amendment was included to close the loophole that has allowed drug-infused THC products like Delta-8 to be sold to teenagers in packaging that looks like candy. We must stop teenagers and children from being exposed to addictive and harmful drugs."

For a country that is crying out for more job opportunities, ways to lower inflation, curb climate change and bring manufacturing back into the heartland, this is outdated, fearful thinking at its best. It is time we release hemp from its Reefer Madness history that has held it hostage for the better part of a century, and see what this wonder plant can do.

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Serving the Sustainably Minded

Thread Lightly is a journalistic inquiry into the world of regenerative apparel, and the forces that hold it back.

About Courtney

Courtney Barriger is an award-winning artist, sustainable fashion expert, and author of ReFashion Workshop: The planet healing mindset. Her apparel line Holding Court was featured in Vanity Fair and GQ and won the Sustainability Award at iHollywood Film Festival and the prize of Americas It Girl on the eponymous TV Show on Oprah's WE TV network.

She has written investigative pieces and deep dives into culture and power dynamics for the LA Times and has been honored as "The Future of Fashion" by United Nations non-profit, Fashion Fights Poverty.