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> hemp's potential as an industrial crop to replace petroleum was unlocked.

Could you clarify this statement? Are you saying hemp can be efficiently used as a fuel?




You can easily dig around for more sources, but I've attached the wiki link, which has some information about fuel usage and many other uses. From what I can remember it's about as viable as biofuels from corn (maybe a bit better) but still not really production quality. Hemp's biggest advantage is the strength of it's fibers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp



Anything that can be made from a hydrocarbon can be made from a carbohydrate. If hemp got the same subsidies, protections and considerations from the government that petroleum does, I suspect it would be cheaper than petroleum in the long run.

Popular Mechanics was touting hemp in 1938:

http://www.globalhemp.com/1938/02/new-billion-dollar-crop.ht...




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