March 1, 2000

1 Min Read
USDA Dismisses Hemp


USDA Dismisses Hemp

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated in a recentreport that there is a limited demand for hemp and hemp products. Industrialhemp is a variety of the species Cannabis sativa L., which is classified as aSchedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

The USDA report, Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and MarketPotential, estimated that the U.S. imported the equivalent of 5,000 acres ofhemp fiber, yarn, fabric and seed in 1999. This leads to the possibility ofoversaturating the market with hemp products. According to the USDA, uncertaintyabout long-term demand for hemp products, and the potential for oversupply inthe small, thin industrial hemp markets, discounts the prospects for hemp to bean economically viable alternative crop for American farmers.

Mari Kane, a hemp activist and author of Hemp Pages, explained that thegovernment only looked at the hemp textile industry and not hemp food products."With the explosion of hemp foods on the market, hemp is a growingindustry," Kane said. She added that hemp contains protein, and hemp oilhas the same beneficial Omega-3 oils that are in fish.

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