A Brief History of Hemp in Canada
Ancient History
Production of hemp originated in Central Asia thousands of years ago. There is evidence of the use of hemp and marijuana in almost all ancient, and many modern civilizations. For example, a piece of hemp cloth is one of the oldest archeological relics known to man and dates back to 8000BC. The oldest surviving piece of paper in the world, discovered in China and dating back over 2000 years, was also made from hemp.
Hemp was established in Britain around 400 AD, and was first grown at Old Buckenham, Mere. Viking Ships which date back to 850AD used hemp for their sails, ropes, fishing nets, lines and caulking. From the 16th to the 18th century, hemp and flax were the major fiber crops in Russia, Europe and North America. Ropes and sails were made of hemp because of its great strength and its resistance to rotting. Paper and textiles were other important historical applications.
Hemp in Canada
In 1606, French Botanist Louis Hebert planted the first hemp crop in North America in Port Royal, Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia). As early as 1801, the Lieutenant Governor of the province of Upper Canada, on behalf of the King of England, distributed hemp seed free to Canadian farmers. Hemp became the first crop to be subsidized when the government offered to pay premiums and bounties to the "deserving cultivators and exporters of hemp in the Province." At its peak, several thousand acres of hemp were grown in Western Ontario alone.
The Decline and Prohibition of Hemp
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, increasing labour costs encouraged a gradual shift away from hemp to cotton, jute, and tropical fibers which were less labour intensive. The decline which continued with the advent of synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon was accelerated by changes in legislation.
In 1937, the United States government imposed a heavy tax on hemp producers under the Marijuana Tax Act. Canada prohibited marijuana, and thus hemp production in 1938 under the Opium and Narcotics Control Act. It is interesting to note, however, that world production of hemp peaked in 1940 at about 832 000 tonnes of fibre.
Both Canadian and American hemp production restrictions were temporarily lifted from 1943 to 1945 in support of the war effort, as hemp supplies from the Far East became scarce. In 1961, the Canadian Narcotics Control Act (CNCA) allowed Cannabis to be grown at the discretion of the Health Minister for research purposes only.
Hemp's Revival
Since 1992, many European countries including France, the Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Spain, and Germany have passed legislation allowing for the commercial cultivation of low-THC hemp. In fact, the E.U. has in recent years been promoting hemp cultivation by providing subsidies of approximately C$1400 per hectare to grow hemp. In 1992, world production of hemp fiber was 124,000 tonnes with India, China, Russia, Korea and Romania as the major producers. In these countries, the cultivation of hemp has never been prohibited.
The Legal Status of Hemp in Canada
In 1994, under the CNCA, one license was granted to a Canadian company, Hempline Inc., to grow low-THC hemp in Canada under the strict supervision of the authorities, for research purposes only. This was the first time that a such license had been granted under the CNCA to a private sector organization. As a condition of receiving this approval, the originally planned crop of 12 plots covering approximately 100 acres was reduced to one experimental field totaling 10 acres in size.
In 1995-1997, research licenses were granted to a number of groups across Canada, under identical conditions. A number of these studies were joint efforts between private industry, academics and government.
Recent Canadian Situation
(exerted from Health Canada’s Publication of Schedule of Amendments)
"The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), which came into force on May 14, 1997, replaces the Narcotic Control Act and Parts III and IV of the Food and Drugs Act. However, the existing Narcotic Control Regulations, as well as Parts G and J of the Food and Drug Regulations dealing with the controlled and restricted drugs requirements remains in force, under the authority of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. While Narcotic Control Regulations do not permit the issuance of licenses to cultivate industrial hemp for commercial purposes, the recently proclaimed Controlled Drugs and Substances Act does provide the authority to create regulations to permit the commercial cultivation of industrial hemp.
"Non-viable cannabis seeds and mature stalks that do not include leaves, flowers, seeds or branches; and fibre derived from such stalks are excluded from Schedule II of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Thus the fibre and products made from such stalks may be imported, processed or sold in Canada without restriction."
As of March 1998, Health Canada has passed their proposed regulations, and as a result hemp can be grown commercially in Canada for the first time in sixty years. The growing, importing, exporting, processing and distribution of industrial hemp although permitted remain quite heavily regulated.
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