Mission
The Wyoming Hemp Association will unite hemp stakeholders for a healthy, vibrant and innovative hemp culture in Wyoming and will support the growth and development of Wyomimg’s hemp industry.
Goals
01.
•Education: Provide forums, seminars, and educational opportunities for growers and producers, including an Annual Summit
02.
•Awareness: Combined with education, the WHA will support Wyoming’s hemp industry as it differentiates itself in a fragmented and crowded market.
03.
•Advocacy: Communicate with stakeholders and elected officials to support policy changes and legislative action as needed to ensure a business-friendly climate to grow the hemp industry responsibly for the long-term.
“Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of this country.”
Thomas Jefferson | THIRD U.S. President
American Hemp History
Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.
Industrial hemp had been grown in the U.S. when the first European settlers arrived in early 1600s. In 1619, it was illegal NOT to grow hemp in Jamestown, Virginia. Massachusetts and Connecticut had similar laws. In the 1700’s, subsidies and bounties were granted in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and other New England states in order to encourage hemp cultivation and manufacturing of cordage and canvas (the word “canvas” is rooted in “cannabis”). George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all grew hemp and actively advocated for commercial hemp production. Benjamin Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper, and Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper.
The first American Flag in 1776 was made from hemp because no other fiber was strong enough to withstand the salty air on naval ships. For over 200 years in colonial America, hemp was currency that one could use to pay their taxes! Hemp was a staple crop of American agriculture, reflected in town names like “Hempfield” and “Hempstead.” But as our country and our economy grew, so did the business of political lobbying, and with that. hemp became a target of competing businesses and innovation. In 1937, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act which effectively began the era of hemp prohibition. The tax and licensing regulations of the act made hemp cultivation difficult for American farmers. The chief promoter of the Tax Act, Harry Anslinger, began pushing anti-marijuana legislation around the world. in following the funding of his campaign, it was clear that hemp was a direct threat to tree based paper producers, tobacco companies, cotton producers and chemical companies that were creating new fabrics from synthetic sources.
Then came World War II. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor shut off foreign supplies of "manila hemp" fiber from the Philippines. The USDA produced a film called "Hemp For Victory" to encourage U.S. farmers to grow hemp for the war effort. The U.S. government formed the War Hemp Industries Department and subsidized hemp cultivation. During the war, U.S. farmers grew about a million acres of hemp across the Midwest as part of that program.
After the war ended, the government quietly shut down all the hemp processing plants and the industry faded away again and the hemp industry was effectively regulated out of existence and became a dormant crop for the next 80 years.
Wyoming now has an opportunity to be a leader in hemp production and value-add products to serve the world.
Membership
—
