A History of Hemp


Ancient Hemp	20th Century Hemp	Modern Hemp

20th Century Hemp

1917: With the outbreak of WW 1, imports of Russian hemp virtually cease and manufactures once again look for domestic sources. The yearbook of the United States Department reports “the total acreage of hemp of the entire country doubled annually, reaching an estimated 42,000 acres in 1917”.

German inventor Goerge Schlichten seems to solve the labor intensive problem of hemp growing with his invention of a decorticator that would compete in the paper industry. He presents his idea and is given a patent. His new invention raises the use of the fibers to 95%, a three fold improvement over previous yields. Mysteriously, however, the paper trail of Schlichten's invention disappears in the mid 1920's. During the following decade, several companies build factories that use innovative fiber separating equipment but no one knows if they were based on Schlichten's invention or not. The Schlichten documents also reveal several important issues. Including the fact that industrialists are well aware that America's forests were in danger and not inexhaustible. Never the less, low prices are maintained through market conditions and subsidized lumber from the National Forests. Today, fewer than 1 million acres of primeval lands are left of the 800 million only four centuries ago.


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