American Hemp: How Growing Our Newest Cash Crop Can Improve Our Health, Clean Our Environment, and Slow Climate Change

by Jen Hobbs, Jesse Ventura (Foreword)

If there was ever a time to make the most of American hemp, our newest cash crop, the time is now. The blueprint is here; you’re reading it.—Governor Jesse Ventura

December of 2018 marked a largely unprecedented victory for cannabis. The 2018 Farm Bill passed and with it hemp became legal. What the federal government listed for decades as a schedule 1 narcotic was finally classified as an agricultural crop, giving great promise to the rise of a new American hemp industry.

Filled with catchall research, American Hemp examines what this new domestic crop can be used for, what makes it a superior product, and what made it illegal in the first place; the book also delves into the many health and medical benefits of the plant. Hobbs weighs in on how hemp can improve existing industries, from farming to energy to 3D printing, plus how it can make a serious impact on climate change by removing toxins from the soil and by decreasing our dependence on plastics and fossil fuels. The table of contents

American Hemp lays out where we are as a nation on expanding this entirely new (yet ancient) domestic industry while optimistically reasoning that by sowing hemp, we can grow a better future and save the planet in the process.

312 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2019

Reviews

[Anna From Gustine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't exactly the read I was expecting. I don't think I was paying sufficient attention when I bought it. The book is well-researched with lots of information. It is a heavy advocate for hemp which is fine as far as I'm concerned. I struggled with the style though. Too informal for me. At times I felt like I was reading marketing material. At other times, I felt like I was listening to Jesse Ventura as the writing sounded so much like him (Maybe because he wrote an intro and it stuck in my mind?) Another issue was that the book referred to legislative action that happened pre-COVID as though it was the most current activity on hemp. In trying to ground itself in current events, it kind of dated itself too.

I don't know. I like hemp, but this book was not the best read.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors of this book are very adamant that hemp production is the next best thing. I know there are health benefits to taking hemp supplements, so that was mainly what I was interested in but there is an overwhelming campaign in this book to convince you that hemp will solve all the world's problems. It does have some industrial uses that are being explored, such as in the construction industry. It can be used for insulation in homes and for other building products like hempcrete. It is a well researched book, and I appreciate the author's enthusiasm for the product.

[Julia Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

You simply must read this book! It's about you and your children's future. Informative and easy to understand. Learn the difference between hemp and marijuana and the many uses of CBD for aliments such as epilepsy, psychosis, migraine, anxiety and many more maladies. Learn how hemp leeches poisons, lead and harmful metals from soil. A must read! Bravo Jen Hobbs!

[Nate Jordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive investigation into this burgeoning new industry. From its biology to its history and future, Hobbs' book is essential to arriving at a baseline understanding of what hemp is and, most importantly, what it can be.

[Lawrence Jay Kroehling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much about hemp in Jen Hobbs new book —from farming to a food source to pesticide, to greening the earth this book is enlightening on so many levels. It’s must read! It’s the future!