Hemp for Victory

In 1942, the hemp prohibition was put on hold. It was during World War II that the US source for hemp, Manila Hemp from the Phillipines, had been cut off by the Japanese. The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded by providing hemp seeds to American farmers across the country. It also produced a 16 minute film directed by Raymond Evans entitled ‘Hemp for Victory’. The black and white film explained the uses of hemp while encouraging the patriotic farmers to grow as much hemp as possible for the war effort. Over 40,000 tons of hemp fiber was produced and used for rope, rigging and parachutes. The farmers continued to grow hemp until the U.S. victory in 1946. When the war ended, so did Hemp for Victory with the reinstatement
of hemp prohibition.

In 1969, professor and activist, Timothy Leary, was arrested for the possession of marijuana in violation of the Marihuana Tax Act. He challenged the Marihuana Tax Act on the ground that the
Act required self-incrimination, which violated the Fifth Amendment. The unanimous opinion of the court was penned by Justice John Marshall Harlan II and declared the Marihuana Tax Act
unconstitutional. Thus, Leary’s conviction was overturned.

“They’ve outlawed the number one vegetable on the planet.”

TIMOTHY LEARY, Professor & Activist

The following year, Congress responded by repealing the Marijuana Tax Act and passing the Controlled Substances Act to continue the prohibition of Marijuana and Hemp.

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