Is it true that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson used to grow hemp?
A. Yes! In fact, both grew hemp on their plantations. Thomas Jefferson once remarked that hemp’s economic value and capacity for outfitting the Navy made hemp “of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country”. George Washington once wrote “make the most of the hemp seed and sow it everywhere”. For more than 200 years in Early America, it was legal to pay your taxes with hemp. During critical material shortage periods, it became illegal not to grow hemp, with a penalty of jail.
