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In the United States of America, hemp production dates back to the earliest colonies. During World War II, hemp was grown throughout the Midwest to aid the war effort by producing fiber for uniforms, canvas and rope. In fact, hemp laws and regulations pertaining the growth of Cannabis as an agricultural commodity in the U.S. are found in many state and federal laws prior to the mid 1900s.



Following World War II, the federal government, in addition to several states, became concerned with the use of a psychoactive form of Cannabis containing high concentrations of the chemical compound Tetrahydocannabinol (THC), commonly referred to as marijuana.



Laws to regulate the use of marijuana began to appear throughout the U.S. and eventually the federal government passed the Controlled Substances act of 1970 (CSA) which placed strict controls on the growth of any form of Cannabis in the U.S., requiring a permit from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Since this act has been place, DEA has only allowed one action where Cannabis seeds were allowed to be planted on U.S. soil. In 1999, DEA allowed the State of Hawaii to plant a test-plot of industrial hemp varieties for research purposes. That permit has since expired and no other permits have been issued since. The DEA, by authority of the CSA, does not differentiate between industrial hemp and marijuana and regulates all forms of Cannabis equally.

HEMP REGULATIONS

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Socio-Political Research

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