Regulating Hemp
Civilizations have used hemp for centuries to produce a variety of goods including paper, cloth, and rope. Hemp is the same species of plant as marijuana, just a different cultivated variety of it. As a result, following the criminalization of marijuana, hemp cultivation faded in the United States. In fact, the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 included hemp within the definition of “marihuana,” effectively outlawing the production of hemp without a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) permit.
