Germany Lifts Ban on Hemp Growth

Hemp,

Cannabis sativa, can be grown again in Germany with the recent lifting of a ban on hemp cultivation. Germany will join other European countries that cultivate hemp as a quality fiber source, which can reduce demand for forest products. A fiber-cement building block using hemp is already being produced in France. The states of Wisconsin and Vermont are also looking into how they can encourage hemp cultivation. Prior to the federal ban on hemp production in 1937 (to discourage marijuana smoking), Wisconsin was the nation’s largest producer of this crop.