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All of us have seen the explosion of hemp-based products – hemp seed oil and hemp clothing seem to be everywhere. But, up until now, all of these items have been imported into the US. Well, the ban on industrial hemp, a crop which, for some strange and suspicious reason got lumped in with its psychoactive cousin during this country’s anti-marijuana laws of the 1930s, finally looks to be ending.
Our guest this week on Sea Change Radio, author Doug Fine, tells host Alex Wise why this is such a promising development for both environmentalists and capitalists. Fine explores the long and fascinating history of hemp in America, a crop that was actually illegal not to grow in colonial days, and examines how industries are finding new and exciting ways to innovate with this hardy and practical plant.