What is the origin of hemp,was Hemp originated in Asia or the US, and cultivation?

While the history of hemp is far too long and significant to adequately convey in a comment, I’ll try to share a brief history–at least up until the early 20th century… I’m mainly using the timeline presented in an article published by MIT, but I’m also including my own knowledge as well:

A remnant of hemp cloth was discovered in what was Mesopotamia (current-day Iran/Iraq) by archaeologists–dating back to 8,000 BC. That said, hemp is likely the earliest plant cultivated for textile purposes, and is also believed to be the earliest instance of human industry.

There were references made during works of the Sung Dynasty, which detail the Emperor Shen Nung (28th Century BC) teaching his people the cultivation of hemp for cloth. From there, it is presumed that hemp was present in Europe around 1200BC, from whence it began spreading to other portions of the ancient world.

In terms of continuous cultivation, it appears that China holds that record with over 6,000 years of documented cultivation; at present, France has been growing hemp for at least 700 years, with Chile and Spain holding similar histories. Russia was also a key player in the industry for hundreds of years.

The Chinese were the first to discover the utility of hemp in terms of paper; in approximately 150BC it was they who produced the first form of paper–and, you guessed it, it was made from hemp. The oldest documents on paper in existence are Buddhist texts, from the 2nd or 3rd century, AD; this paper was comprised of a combination of rags and bark–primarily hemp.

Hemp has a centuries-old track record of medicinal benefit throughout the world, with folk remedies and ancient healing methods referring to the healing properties of leaves, seeds, and roots. The seeds and floral material were especially used in birthing and labor difficulties, seizure disorders, arthritis/rheumatism, insomnia, and dysentery.

In the middle ages, hemp fulfilled much of the world’s needs for food and fiber. Hemp was a “superfood” before that word was coined, and it is believed that many of the early civilizations who gradually moved from hunting/gathering to agriculture, used hemp as their primary nutrition staple due to its general heartiness as well as the well-rounded dietary content. Ships’ sails were made of hemp materials–the word canvas was actually derived from cannabis! Hemp rope was favored over cotton, as it was thrice as strong and resistant to corrosion from salt water. In 1535, Henry the Eighth passed a law which required landowners to sew and grow a quarter acre of hemp, or they would be fined. From that point to well in the 1920s, nearly 80% of clothing was made from textiles derived from hemp.

It is likely that hemp was present in North America long prior to the arrival of the Europeans. In the 1500s, Jacques Cartier wrote the land was “frill of hempe”… it was definitely there when the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. It has been grown in nearly every state in America at one point or another, and was grown throughout the western and central portions of Canada prior to its confederation. There, it was grown under the French, and was actually the first crop that had a government subsidy. Hemp seeds were distributed to farmers in 1801 by the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. In “Five Years’ Residence in the Canadas” by Edward Allen Talbot, Esq, it is written that Canada could end their dependence on a foreign power if they could produce enough hemp for British supply. The provincial parliament of Upper Canada even allocated a portion of their budget in 1822 to allow for hemp-processing machinery, as well as repairs. The 1932 budget provided incentives for domestic producers.

Despite the role hemp played in the early development of North America, cotton eventually took its place. Hemp harvest was very labor-intensive (still is, ha!), as it was traditionally hand-processed, making it costly as well. With the invent of the cotton gin at the end of the 1700s, cotton became much easier to process, to the point where hemp could no longer compete. The labor-intensive nature of hemp processing did not lend well toward mechanical and commercial production. In 1917, a machine was patented to separate the fiber from the hurds, which greatly increased yield and decreased labor. However, these machines, as well as the inventor, fell off the scene rather quickly.

The primary opposition to hemp arose in the US in the 30s, due to propoganda from the petroleum and lumber/newspaper industries, who recognized the threat of hemp to their businesses and profits. More machinery was created to further aid in the harvest and extraction of hemp materials, and the machinery became more available and affordable. Per the February 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics (written in early 1937), hemp was at the precipice of becoming the “billion-dollar-crop”. However, in the fall of 1937, the US government under the thumb of textile lobbyists and other groups who recognized the threat the hemp industry could pose to their monopolies within their respective portions of the market, proposed prohibitive laws and levied occupational tex excises on hemp growers and sellers. Later in 1937, the crop was banned entirely, with the Canadian government following suit the next year.

With the Second World War, the Japanese had cut off the States from their primary provider of imported hemp–the Philippines. In order to meet the production demands presented by the war effort, US and Canadian governments lifted restrictions throughout the end of the war. Not only were farmers permitted to grow hemp once again, but they were encouraged by such releases as the USDA’s film “Hemp for Victory”. The most commonly recognized use of hemp during the war was for parachute textiles and rope–however one lesser-known use was biofuel. On the farm where we’re currently raising hemp, my grandfather and his brothers raised it for biofuel. In the high altitudes required to clear mountains such as the Alps, petroleum-based fuels would congeal and effectively burn out the engines of B52s. Hemp fuel had a much lower freezing point, so it was perfect for these planes!

But, once again, the hemp ban returned following the end of the war. Historically, hemp has over 25 THOUSAND uses–but until recently was kept in lobbyist-contrived shadows of ill-repute.