It may sound like the beginnings of a riddle, but what do sustainable paper, fashionable clothes, nutritious food, and the world’s most eco-friendly car all have in common? Hemp! Yes, it’s the amazing truth. Yet, despite the thousands of uses for hemp, the United States still classifies the completely harmless plant as a Schedule 1 […]
It may sound like the beginnings of a riddle, but what do sustainable paper, fashionable clothes, nutritious food, and the world’s most eco-friendly car all have in common? Hemp! Yes, it’s the amazing truth. Yet, despite the thousands of uses for hemp, the United States still classifies the completely harmless plant as a Schedule 1 Drug within the USA’s Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Canada, on the other hand, legalized industrial hemp in 1998, giving Calgary-based Motive Industries INC. the opportunity to make the super sleek car, and totally hemp-based, Kestrel. Way to be behind the times, USA!
Believe it or not, the Kestrel is not the first hemp car. In fact, nearly 80 years ago, Henry Ford not only designed a hemp-based car, but the car also ran on ethanol made from hemp. But that was then, and this is now, and it’s clear to see that Ford went in a different direction. Thankfully, the hemp car dream still lives on with the Kestrel, whose design not only rivals other high-end sports cars, but its battery also runs approximately 100 miles before it needs to be recharged! It may only reach top speeds of about 55 mph, but that’s still pretty impressive.
Despite hemp cars, and all of hemp’s other incredible uses, initiatives to legalize industrial hemp still continue to be turned down in the states – like Governor Christie’s most recent veto in New Jersey. It’s hard to tell when the US will get its act together, but it’s starting to get bit embarrassing, to be honest. The USA was once an innovator of great inventions, and now the nation is falling behind Canada. Canada! No offense Canada, but no one saw that coming.
Sources: Hemp Network America, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada