By the Numbers: Industrial Hemp

Now that the state of Wisconsin has realized the error of its ways and legalized industrial hemp production, here are some things you should know about this amazing plant.

1

Hemp’s status as the No. 1 biomass producer on the planet.

38

The number of states that considered legislation relating to industrial hemp in 2017. Legislation was advanced in most states, however the governors of Arizona and New Mexico vetoed research program legislation in their respective states.

77

The percentage of cellulose in a hemp stalk. For comparison, wood produces 66 percent cellulose.

1937

Despite opposition from the American Medical Association, which advocated for research on medical marijuana, the federal government passed the Marihuana Tax Act in October of this year, and foolishly lumped industrial hemp in with the prohibition on marijuana.

1942

The year the U.S. government made a documentary called Hemp for Victory, encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The government later denied such a film was made until it was found in the Library of Congress in 1998. You can view it here:  youtube.com/watch?v=W0xHCkOnn-A.

1994

The year Hemp Industries Association was established. It is a nonprofit trade association representing businesses, farmers, researchers and investors working with industrial hemp.

2017

The year the Industrial Hemp Farming Act was introduced to remove hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act.

8,000 BC

The oldest relic of human history is a piece of Mesopotamian hemp fabric dating back to this time.

25,000

The number of different products that could be made from hemp, according to a 1938 article in Popular Mechanics.

$688 million

S. hemp industry sales in 2016, in seven primary categories, food ($129.3 million, or 19 percent); personal care ($163 million or 24 percent); textiles ($99.5 million of 14 percent); supplements ($26 million or 4 percent); cannabidiol ($130 million or 19 percent); industrial applications, such as car parts ($125.5 million or 18 percent); other consumer products, such as paper and construction materials ($14.4 million or 2 percent).

$1.8 billion

The projected total sales of hemp products by 2020, led by hemp food, body care and medicinal hemp oil products.

Source:  hempbizjournal.com, hempfarm.org, thehia.org, forbes.com