Washington revives old tradition to legalize hemp cultivation without a license required
Washington state is licensing hemp manufacturers for the first time, increasing opportunities for processors and extractors who want to sell out of state. A legislative proposal to explicitly legalize hemp has been passed in the state legislature. Washington could thus reconnect with its old tradition, the culture of unlicensed hemp.
Because Washington allowed but did not license hemp processors before, the number of extractors was limited. A law signed by Governor Jay Inslee establishes a new hemp processor registration and hemp extract certification under the state Department of Agriculture.
The bill 2064 of the House was tabled for second reading in the Senate by the Senate Rules Committee. This advancement comes two weeks after the proposal was unanimously approved by the Senate Committee. And about a month after its unanimous decision by the state House of Representatives.
The proposed law would exclude “industrial hemp from the definitions of controlled substances”. Thus, it would make it possible to cultivate hemp in a manner similar to other agricultural products. But this time, without authorization, and with no limit to the size of the harvest …
Note that this law will potentially bring back one of the oldest industries in America. That of the cultivation of hemp! The Washington State Legislature would ensure that this valuable plant is no longer regulated as a drug. Learn about the history of American hemp from 100 years ago.
Did George Washington grow hemp?
Throughout his life, George Washington cultivated hemp in Mount Vernon for industrial purposes. Hemp fibers had excellent properties for making rope and sail cloth. In addition, the hemp fibers could be spun for clothing or used to repair the large seines used by Washington in its fishing operations along the Potomac.
At some point in the 1760s, Washington questioned whether hemp would be a more lucrative cash crop than tobacco, but determined that wheat was a better alternative.
In fact, the first president of the United States may have been one of the first users of medical marijuana.
George Washington’s rotten teeth, replaced by teeth made of hippopotamus ivory, gold springs and brass screws caused him tremendous pain and some believe he relieved them with grass, such as This is evidenced by certain letters from the president.
“I started to separate the male plants from the female plants a little too late and my flowers will be fertilized” It is likely that the plants that gave seeds to which he refers were reseeded in order to grow even more hemp and that male plants were used for their fiber.
Quote from a letter from the president
For his pain, it is likely that the Father of the Nation sought to select plants with a high THC content.
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The history of hemp in American culture
It is important to distinguish hemp from marijuana. They belong to the same family, but hemp contains very little THC unlike marijuana. Hemp is easy to grow, it requires little water and little fertilizer. In addition, it replants almost by itself, year after year. The structure of its roots was and still is essential for a rich and airy soil. As it was fast growing, its roots promised to stabilize the soil for growing all kinds of other plants.
Once harvested, the hemp was used to make ropes and clothing among other things. In addition, Benjamin Franklin owned a mill and made hemp paper. It can be noted that the paper on which the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution were written was made of hemp. Benjamin Franklin is not known to have smoked weed, but he used laudanum, a mixture of alcohol and opium, to relieve pain from gout, kidney stones and other conditions including he suffered .
Thomas jefferson 3rd President from 1743 to 1826 brought a variety of cannabis seeds from Europe to America, taking great risks, which he successfully cultivated. Jefferson and Franklin were both ambassadors to France.
Later James monroe , 5th President of the United States 1758-1831, started smoking cannabis when he was Ambassador to France and is said to have kept this habit until old age.
Andrew Jackson , Franklin pierce and Zachary Tayl, allegedly smoked cannabis with their troops. During the Mexican war Pierce would have written in a letter to his family “hemp is the only good thing in this war”
In the 19th century cannabis did not really have a status, it has been known since antiquity for its therapeutic virtues but is often consumed recreationally. While lawyers seem to ignore the plant in 1937 the Marijuana Tax is adopted by putting a tax on cannabis sales of $ 1, its cultivation was no longer as attractive.
During the period from Pierce to Dwinht Eisenhower, Presidents have remained low-key and sober on the subject. It is not the same for JFK.
John F. Kennedy suffered from severe chronic back pain and would have experimented with marijuana according to some accounts like the one recounted in A Biography by Jim Truitt, which describes “Kennedy and Mary Meyer smoked marijuana together, the president to smoke three or four joints that Mary gave him. brought. At first he felt little effect, then he closed his eyes by refusing the fourth. He wanted to remain conscious while relieving himself, he reportedly said “Suppose the Russians act now” According to a memoir by Kathy McKeon, who served for 13 years as an assistant to Jakie Kennedy, the first lady discovered a plant of cannabis in the garden of the famous Hyannis Port vacation home. The wind would have unexpectedly carried a seed which would have germinated by itself in the middle of the flowers of the family garden.
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Nonetheless Stacey Flores Chandler, reference archivist at the John Kennedy Library said that he has all of JFK’s medical records from the 1950s to the 1960s and there is never any mention of cannabis use.
In 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act was passed when many jurists did not know what marijuana was. The law then places a tax of $ 1 on anyone who sells cannabis plants, making it illegal. Although it may not seem like much, the law was very strict, disorienting and later ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Other interest groups and those in favor of prohibition for religious reasons have also helped to create a feeling among the public to ensure that Marijuna.
Richard Nixon 1913 -1994 37th president validated the law signing the illegality of cannabis by qualifying it as a poisonous substance in the same way as heroin, lsd and ecstasy, the medical use of which is prohibited in the United States and of which safety is not acceptable for use under control and with a high potential for abuse ”
At that time the cultivation of hemp was often practiced
do not forget that Benjamin franklin(1706-1790) Politician, naturalist and printer owned a mill which produced hemp paper, the paper on which the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written. The men who signed the Charters of Liberty have perhaps also pushed back the Revolution thanks to drugs. Hemp grower Jefferson 3rd President of the United States (1743-1826) and papermaker Benjamin Franklin were ambassadors to France during the first wave of the hashish craze.
Thomas jefferson 3rd President of the United States (1743-1826) introduced a variety of cannabis seeds from Europe to America at great personal risk, but there is no direct evidence that he ever used the crops that did. arose for recreational purposes. Benjamin Franklin is not known to have smoked weed, but he did use laudanum, a mixture of alcohol and opium, to relieve pain from gout, kidney stones, and other conditions.
James Monroe 5th president (1758-1831) having had two terms, would have started smoking cannabis as ambassador in France and would have kept this habit until old age.
The Oval Office was in a state of denial until the arrival of the baby boomers
Since 1992 all the Democratic presidential candidates from Bill Clinton to Barak Obama including Al Gore, John Kerry and John Edwards, all have publicly declared having experimented with cannabis. Georges W. Bush and Newt Grindrich also declared having consumed cannabis. All of these revelations have made cannabis a bipartisan affair.
Even Rick Santorum and Sarah Palin admitted to using it while marijuana was still illegal in Alaska.
In 2014 only 45% of Americans said they were in favor of legalization, since according to the latest figures from Pew research more than 80% of Americans think that legalization is necessary.
