Here's another gripe: Cotton subsidies! Cotton is one of the most damaging crops for the soil. It depletes the nutrients in the soil, and it requires mountains of chemicals which kill the living organisms in the soil. It makes no sense to subsidize it. Especially when there is an alternative that can be grown easily without chemicals: Hemp. Hemp is not marijuana, and it contains none of the intoxicating components of marijuana. But it's illegal to grow it in the U.S. because the (subsidized) cotton industry lobby claims that hemp could be used as a cover for growing marijuana, even though aerial surveillance can easily distinguish the two. Hemp clothing is as comfortable as cotton and more durable. Hemp is easier to grow, cheaper to grow, and in a crop rotation can help build healthier soil, where cotton destroys the soil.
The agrico's demonisation of hemp goes way back. There's no question it's a very versatile product that could replace many of today's harmful practices, but the promise is also the threat. What's good for the corporation trumps what's good for society, every time. If and when we can solve that problem, hemp products will again be common.
Hemp oil was used as motor oil and fuel when the combustion engine was invented - growing hemp was considered patriotic during WW1, as it was needed for the war effort. George Washington grew hemp on his plantation, as it was considered one of the most beneficial crops to grow - providing food, oil, cloth, and rope. It was the petro-chemical corporations that had the oil aspect replaced... from there, it was a concerted push to have it erradicated.
But are you aware that in a bizarre turn of events involving a Brazilian lawsuit against American cotton subsidies, a string of decisions against the U.S., and finally Brazil's threat to retaliate with tariffs against unrelated U.S. products, the U.S. ended up paying subsidies to Brazil's cotton farmers to the tune of US$150 million per year? That wouldn't happen if I was Emperor of the World!
Cotton is best grown where the climate is amenable + water is abundant. In the US it is often grown where irrigation is required. However, some people are allergic to hemp.
Where has hemp replaced cotton as the most popular textile? There must be some countries where hemp production is legal and textile production is widespread if it as good as claimed.
Almost off topic in this thread, Cotton is down to being the fifth largest acreage for agricultural land in Mississippi from first. (Corn, Rice, Soybeans, and Catfish now come before Cotton)
Hemp clothing, hemp cloth, hemp fiber, even hempseed is legal in the U.S. You can find breakfast cereal with hempseed in it. The only thing that's illegal is growing it. I had a sun hat made of hemp. It was great. Comfortable, cool in summer, and it lasted for years. Finally it wore out. I still have a belt made of hemp and all my handkerchiefs are hemp. Googling "hemp clothing" yields 757,000 hits, the first page of which are all stores selling hemp clothing. But before I outfit myself all in hemp, I think I have to research whether drug-sniffing dogs at the airport think hemp smells like pot.
Hemp doesn't smell like pot. Even if it did end up with some THC on the finished product (unlikely I think) I would be more concerned about it showing up in a drug test at work if you are subject to drug testing.
There is absolutely no THC in hemp, and there is no THC on hemp unless you smoke pot while wearing it and the smoke gets in your clothing. However, the plants are closely related, and dogs can smell a lot more smells than people can. A JOB??? What kind of pervert do you think I am?
Definitely a case (it sounds like anyways) were lobbyists have yet again corrupted the political process. Sigh. I'll keep my eye out for this sort of thing in stores though. We don't buy clothes too often but it'd like to vote with my wallet on this one if I can.
If that's the case, there should be a booming hemp textile industry in countries with good hemp growing conditions and a textile industry and no regulations on growing hemp. Can any of the hemp supporters give us some examples? I would like to believe it's as good a textile as claimed but haven't seen the evidence. There must be something keeping it from replacing cotton where it's legal, perhaps cost?
In "hippie" kinds of places (Nelson, B.C., San Francisco, CA, etc.) there are stores selling hemp clothing. Otherwise, you might have to look on line. Google "hemp clothing" and you'll find thousands of stores. Sadly, just because you have invented a better mousetrap, that does not mean that the world will beat a path to your door. Entrenched industries, especially heavily subsidized ones, are hard to displace. There is public habit, trade barriers, established retail outlets; it is very difficult to bring a new product to market, especially to a world market.
Hemp is not produced in anywhere near the volume that cotton is; either as a crop or as a fabric. It tends to be a more expensive specialty item. The mills that once produced hemp cloth for sails, sacks, rope, and clothing shut down long ago. There are significant barriers to entry for the product, not the least of which is US inconsistency in distinguishing hemp from marijuana. Hemp in the US is a controlled substance with zero tolerance for THC. Still, even in the States, you can buy a hemp hat from Lee Valley tools, but you'll have to endure endless stupid jokes about smoking your hat.
