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Looking to the Past for Future Solutions
A Look at Hemp as a Useful, Practical Alternative Biofuel
One More Time for Hemphasis
by Melrose Sanchez
A when commercial aspirin came on the market. If aspirin were
s the scientific experts ponder the impending
global warming crisis, they search and explore
introduced as a pain killer today, it also would most likely be
restricted. Aspirin is so entrenched in our society as a part of
everything from corn oil to cow manure as
possible alternative fuel. Yet hemp, the crop of our daily life, it would be near impossible due to public outcry for
the government to reschedule it to a prescription only medica-
forefathers that actually helped to establish the economic
tion.
base of our country is being sorely, if not deliberately
Rudolf Diesel, born in 1858, began his work to find the
overlooked as a fuel source. Sometimes it takes looking
best fuel for his engines convinced that bio-fuel was the en-
to the past in order to move forward into a meaningful
ergy source to be used by the developing transportation in-
future. Maybe George Washington and Thomas Jefferson dustry. Ford agreed and used 30% hemp seed oil as a high-
were on to something as they grew hemp on their farms. grade diesel fuel while the oil could also be used to lubricate
Historically, hemp was considered by our forefathers and machinery and as motor oil. Not to mention that it is the most
mothers as a valued and important crop. It became illegal to nutritionally balanced oil for human consumption. However,
consider hemp as an American agricultural product and all re- as the price of petroleum became cheaper, bio-fuels were aban-
doned and the petroleum companies began to realize they
search came to a screeching halt by the mid-1930s. Industrial
could control fuel consumption and pricing in the United States.
hemp is a member of the cannabis plant family as is marijuana.
Hemp looks like marijuana. Actually, marijuana is the Spanish This was a very attractive concept to the up-and-coming
word for hemp. However, hemp contains almost no natural American industrialists like William Randolph Hearst who was
medicinal element in its biological makeup. Hemp can be used busy cornering the paper making business using wood pulp
in the production of most everything from building materials to while other oil-rich industrialist wanted to eliminate the com-
petition from renewable fuel sources. The cotton and lumber
fine lace, with one exception — it cannot be used as medicine.
Even though the hemp plant yields three full crops a year industries went down a similar track. Eliminate the competi-
with a harvest every 120 days, and it is drought and pest resis- tion of the hemp textile and building material industry while
tant, as well as one of the most natural, nonpolluting crops cotton and lumber industries grew to dominate. And they have
known in agriculture, the word “hemp” is NOT in the conver- certainly been dominate for almost one hundred years. Never
sation as we search for fuel alternatives. No thought has been mind hemp fabric can hold up to 250 times the moisture of
given to the plant and its potential as a cash crop not only for cotton, is more durable and is used to create everything from
fuel, but food and industry. The entire idea of hemp has been fine lace to cooking oil. The most desirable fabric may well be
kept heavily under wraps. a blend of cotton and hemp. We have not had the opportunity
The list of reasons for the elimination of hemp from the to find out.
American industrial scene is justified with the ever-present so- The industrialist, by 1937, using fear and racism man-
cial stigma put forth by the now classic, Reefer Madness, men- aged to eliminate hemp from the American industrial scene.
tality. Perhaps, if we wore hemp clothing as George Washing- Marijuana is the Spanish word for hemp, and using a racist
ton and Betsy Ross did, or if our modern day flag were made of slant against Mexican workers coming to the United States and
hemp like the original, the mad dash for a non-carbon based fear of a society gone wild on “loco weed”, they managed to
fuel would and could be circumvented. Perhaps, the solution get the Marijuana Tax Act passed and with it, the demise of
to the entire situation would be in our own back yard – where industrialized hemp production in the United States.
most solutions are found in the first place. There was a flurry of hemp activity during Word War II,
The Diesel engine can function perfectly well using a with a slogan “Hemp for Victory” to encourage farmers to plant
hemp oil concoction. Vegetable oils were originally used as die- hemp but the plant had been controlled, debauched, and made
sel fuel. Later, as the price of oil became incredibly cheap, a illegal to grow without special limited permits. The farmers
petroleum component was added to produce a fuel known as did not embrace the idea of growing a product with no market
diesel #2. The Ford Motor Company performed tests and de- industry. The industrialists were creating a “new” world and
veloped concepts utilizing hemp and vegetable oil during the personal fortunes. They were not thinking longevity of the
early 20 Century. The Standard Oil Company, during the 1920s, earth’s environment to ensure humanity’s longevity upon the
th
was comprised of 25% bio-fuel and 75% of petroleum fuel. planet. That was not the focus of the time. The focus was to
Cannabis was used industrially at that time as well as in industrialize an agriculturally-based nation. Perhaps they Saskatchewan
as many as 29 American Medical Association approved and thought the oil and lumber supplies would last forever, much
like our current thinking.
regularly prescribed medications. Cannabis-based medicines
were produced by the pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Lumber, oil, and cotton are the most polluting crops to Regina,
Squibb. Marijuana was used as a primary pain killer until 1899 our environment. They each leave a trail of pollutants with a Photo:
28 www.gkmagazine.net
A Look at Hemp as a Useful, Practical Alternative Biofuel
One More Time for Hemphasis
by Melrose Sanchez
A when commercial aspirin came on the market. If aspirin were
s the scientific experts ponder the impending
global warming crisis, they search and explore
introduced as a pain killer today, it also would most likely be
restricted. Aspirin is so entrenched in our society as a part of
everything from corn oil to cow manure as
possible alternative fuel. Yet hemp, the crop of our daily life, it would be near impossible due to public outcry for
the government to reschedule it to a prescription only medica-
forefathers that actually helped to establish the economic
tion.
base of our country is being sorely, if not deliberately
Rudolf Diesel, born in 1858, began his work to find the
overlooked as a fuel source. Sometimes it takes looking
best fuel for his engines convinced that bio-fuel was the en-
to the past in order to move forward into a meaningful
ergy source to be used by the developing transportation in-
future. Maybe George Washington and Thomas Jefferson dustry. Ford agreed and used 30% hemp seed oil as a high-
were on to something as they grew hemp on their farms. grade diesel fuel while the oil could also be used to lubricate
Historically, hemp was considered by our forefathers and machinery and as motor oil. Not to mention that it is the most
mothers as a valued and important crop. It became illegal to nutritionally balanced oil for human consumption. However,
consider hemp as an American agricultural product and all re- as the price of petroleum became cheaper, bio-fuels were aban-
doned and the petroleum companies began to realize they
search came to a screeching halt by the mid-1930s. Industrial
could control fuel consumption and pricing in the United States.
hemp is a member of the cannabis plant family as is marijuana.
Hemp looks like marijuana. Actually, marijuana is the Spanish This was a very attractive concept to the up-and-coming
word for hemp. However, hemp contains almost no natural American industrialists like William Randolph Hearst who was
medicinal element in its biological makeup. Hemp can be used busy cornering the paper making business using wood pulp
in the production of most everything from building materials to while other oil-rich industrialist wanted to eliminate the com-
petition from renewable fuel sources. The cotton and lumber
fine lace, with one exception — it cannot be used as medicine.
Even though the hemp plant yields three full crops a year industries went down a similar track. Eliminate the competi-
with a harvest every 120 days, and it is drought and pest resis- tion of the hemp textile and building material industry while
tant, as well as one of the most natural, nonpolluting crops cotton and lumber industries grew to dominate. And they have
known in agriculture, the word “hemp” is NOT in the conver- certainly been dominate for almost one hundred years. Never
sation as we search for fuel alternatives. No thought has been mind hemp fabric can hold up to 250 times the moisture of
given to the plant and its potential as a cash crop not only for cotton, is more durable and is used to create everything from
fuel, but food and industry. The entire idea of hemp has been fine lace to cooking oil. The most desirable fabric may well be
kept heavily under wraps. a blend of cotton and hemp. We have not had the opportunity
The list of reasons for the elimination of hemp from the to find out.
American industrial scene is justified with the ever-present so- The industrialist, by 1937, using fear and racism man-
cial stigma put forth by the now classic, Reefer Madness, men- aged to eliminate hemp from the American industrial scene.
tality. Perhaps, if we wore hemp clothing as George Washing- Marijuana is the Spanish word for hemp, and using a racist
ton and Betsy Ross did, or if our modern day flag were made of slant against Mexican workers coming to the United States and
hemp like the original, the mad dash for a non-carbon based fear of a society gone wild on “loco weed”, they managed to
fuel would and could be circumvented. Perhaps, the solution get the Marijuana Tax Act passed and with it, the demise of
to the entire situation would be in our own back yard – where industrialized hemp production in the United States.
most solutions are found in the first place. There was a flurry of hemp activity during Word War II,
The Diesel engine can function perfectly well using a with a slogan “Hemp for Victory” to encourage farmers to plant
hemp oil concoction. Vegetable oils were originally used as die- hemp but the plant had been controlled, debauched, and made
sel fuel. Later, as the price of oil became incredibly cheap, a illegal to grow without special limited permits. The farmers
petroleum component was added to produce a fuel known as did not embrace the idea of growing a product with no market
diesel #2. The Ford Motor Company performed tests and de- industry. The industrialists were creating a “new” world and
veloped concepts utilizing hemp and vegetable oil during the personal fortunes. They were not thinking longevity of the
early 20 Century. The Standard Oil Company, during the 1920s, earth’s environment to ensure humanity’s longevity upon the
th
was comprised of 25% bio-fuel and 75% of petroleum fuel. planet. That was not the focus of the time. The focus was to
Cannabis was used industrially at that time as well as in industrialize an agriculturally-based nation. Perhaps they Saskatchewan
as many as 29 American Medical Association approved and thought the oil and lumber supplies would last forever, much
like our current thinking.
regularly prescribed medications. Cannabis-based medicines
were produced by the pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Lumber, oil, and cotton are the most polluting crops to Regina,
Squibb. Marijuana was used as a primary pain killer until 1899 our environment. They each leave a trail of pollutants with a Photo:
28 www.gkmagazine.net
