Hemp for Victory

The Hemp for Victory movie was produced by the US Department of Agriculture and released in 1942. Its purpose was to encourage farmers to grow as much hemp as they could for the war effort, as the other imported industrial fibers were in short supply. The movie showed the history of how hemp is grown, processed, and manufactured into rope, sails, and cordage.

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was lifted for a short time during World War II to allow for the manufacturing of hemp fiber for ropes for the US Navy. Once hemp did his patriotic duty, he was once again deemed illegal. But even though this plant was requested by way of a government public campaign, the film was not widely known before 1989.

In fact, the US government denied ever having made such a film! Both the US Department of Agriculture and our Library of Congress informed all of those that inquired about the picture that no such film was ever produced by the USDA, or any other branch of the government for that matter.

Yet low and behold, two VHS copies were in fact recovered and then donated to the Library of Congress on May 19th, 1989, by Maria Farrow, Carl Packard, and Jack Herer. May wonders never cease! (1)

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_for_Victory