was a different substance than hemp and also thought it best to ban. I don’t think what Mr. Hearst did was fair to the people at the time, and it should have dealt with the problem in a different manner. Hemp is an important factor in many other industries besides the paper industry. Petroleum, chemical, and pharmaceuticals companies have all had reason to shun the use of hemp and its by-products in America. The Du Pont Company, of the petroleum industry, invented a revolutionary product called nylon in 1935; named after the two places of origin, New York and London, this substance could be used in rope, which would be stronger and much more versatile than hemp, but at the same time would cost more to make, forcing it to still yield to the production of hemp. Chemical companies had even more reason than did Du Pont to ostracize the hemp industry. Finding that hemp could grow in almost any climate and that it required no pesticides for protection nor fertilizers to aid its growth, the chemical companies were in danger of being completely cut out of the picture and would have had no market for their products. Pharmaceutical companies also had reason for wanting hemp excluded from the market. Since hemp was considered a natural substance, untainted by humans, they were unable to place a patent on it. On the other hand though, the pharmaceutical companies were able to make a profit from criminals enrolled in rehabilitation centers to be counseled by physicians, sometimes made mandatory by the courts under the United States Code, title 21, chapter 16 of Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation. I also disagree with these company’s unjust decisions. With powerful industries behind the illegalization of marijuana, swimming against their current would have been impossible. Two other areas that marijuana has influenced greatly are the alcohol industry and the government. During the days of Prohibition, drinking alcohol w...
