Tracker Pixel for Entry

It isn’t easy being green

Editorial | October 25th, 2017

Our opinion: Unlocking the potential of industrial hemp

Hopefully we’ve all heard of industrial hemp referred to as “The Planet Plant.” It has the capability to be used for food, fuel, fiber and pulp for paper.

It has long roots in US history, stemming from the Colonial era to World War II. During the second world war hemp was planted across the nation in the name of victory. In fact, hemp was cultivated in North Dakota during the second world war to help out the war effort.

It’s known to occasionally pop up in the damnedest of places. No wonder no one could ever get high off of Hankinson ditch weed.

Jokes aside. It’s counterproductive to affiliate Industrial hemp with its less reputable counterpart. Comparing Industrial hemp to medicinal or recreational marijuana use is comparing apples to oranges. The industrial variety contains minimal levels of THC and smoking it would make about as much sense as lighting up a hippie’s hemp bracelet.

Hemp was used in the construction of the USS Constitution, also affectionately referred to as “Old Ironsides.” Hemp fibers were used in the sails, rigging, and caulk.

George Washington even grew hemp.The fibers were notorious for their durability and have been used for centuries in various cultures and it’s grown in almost every other country in the world EXCEPT the U.S.A.

So what happened? Politics. What else?

According to auburn.edu, Dupont Chemicals developed a chemical pulping process and they were involved with a timber company and a newspaper chain owned by William Randolph Hearst, the wealthy media mogul and politician. With this partnership Hearst would be able to acquire paper on the cheap and it would be easier for him to drive the other papers out of business.

Before chemical pulping, a process known as mechanical pulping was used to process paper pulp.

At the same time a machine used to brake hemp came out. Hemp hurds was considered a waste product of hemp fibers at the time, but with the development of this new technology it would be used to process hemp into paper and polymers, thus making hemp paper production relatively inexpensive -- and that very concept threatened Hearst’s typeset dreams of a media monopoly.

The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 wound up looping hemp in with the prohibition of marijuana. Which only proves that money doesn’t talk -- it screams. Thanks to the anti-drug rhetoric of the time, inherent racism (which is a long ugly story that we can delve into in another editorial), shut down hemp production on the free market before it even had a chance to actually make America great again.

Remember the time frame, the late 1930s--post-Great Depression and pre-WWII. By combining business with politics America shot itself in the foot again.

According to the Bismarck Tribune, the number of North Dakota farmers participating in the 2017 Industrial Hemp Pilot Program jumped from five to 35, from when it was initially announced in 2015.

Hemp is fast and easy to grow, and the leaves provide an adequate canopy shading the ground, thus limiting weeds from growing around it. This alone will mean the more hemp is used for food, fuel, and fibers, hopefully less herbicides will be used.

It almost seems too good to be true.

As a food source hemp closely resembles animal proteins, but with minimal or no saturated fat and it’s easy to digest. It’s also said to have medicinal properties.

During our foray through Rendezvous country we had the opportunity to see the NDSU test plots near Langdon and we were happy to see the hemp growing tall.

In a world with a growing population, hemp will hopefully have the opportunity to thrive and North Dakota can find its new and improved cash crop.

[Editor’s note: The art accompanying this week’s editorial "Skeleton Parade’ is by Mark Elton, author and illustrator of "Atypical Animals". For more of his work, visit www.BiblioTrek.com.]

Recently in:

MayFargo MarathonNow - May 20Youth run Thursday, 5K Friday night, 10K, half and full marathon, entertainment along route on Saturday. fargomarathon.comKids to Park DayMay 20Bring the kids to Theault Farm in Fargo for crafts,…

By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comHuman rights is a subject that often comes up in the media. One has only to tune in to any of the major news broadcasters to hear heated debate and discussion regarding the treatment of…

Event by Moorhead Parks & Recreation and Swing Barrel Brewing Company, LLCW. H. Davy Memorial Park, 1st Ave & 8th St N, MoorheadTuesday, June 27, 5:30-8pmThe Gina Powers Band + Petting ZooHeather & Thistle Pipes and DrumsArt…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comOur opinion: Keep your chins up, class of 2023As the school year draws to a close, this seems to be the time of year when most editors offer up their best advice to the most recent graduating…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comCan Someone Tell Me Why Sneakers Sell for $1.5 to $2.2 Million a Pair? It has to be something other than quality. I shop for used books in thrift stores because I have discovered thick books given…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comSpring has finally sprung. It’s time to bounce out of the house and try a few new places to eat. Let’s explore what restaurants are trending on the Fargo-Moorhead Eats Facebook page. With nearly…

Event information provided by Morgan Thompson, Marketing and Sales Associate, FARGODOMEMThompson@fargodome.comIt’s the official kickoff of summer, and the return of the best BBQ around and look who’s going to be there! Getting…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comWriter-director Nicole Holofcener leans in – all the way in – to the sturdy milieu of the well-heeled, narcissist-inhabited, New York-based comedy landscape dominated for so many decades by…

Hjemkomst Center 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead  April 25, 3:30-7:30pmPaint a rock, make a stranger smile and be a part of the movement! Keep your rock or add it to the pile to be labeled, sealed and…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comSpring is here (mostly), and our area is buzzing with people eager to get back out and about -- many newly vaccinated and feeling a bit safer. Partnering with Jade Events, Fargo Brewing is just…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

By Traci Sethre  traci.sethre@gmail.comAn integral piece of fencing is your mask. Its integrity keeps you safe. It’s typically painted black to hide your face…

By Ken and Alice Christiansonsubmit@hpr1.com HB 1332 is currently before the North Dakota legislature. The bill proposes to permit social workers to use a discredited treatment method to convert the sexual orientation of gay and…