Advocacy group tries to bring hemp into the mainstream

Hemp America, an advocacy group promoting use of industrial hemp, is ready to start a revolution to reverse a 1937 federal ban on using the rugged, multi-use fibers in the U.S. The hemp plant, Canabis sativa L. (same family as marijuana), is harvested for its fibers, seed, seed meal and seed oil in countries around the world. As part of its campaign to restore hemp production in the U.S., Hemp America launched production of a two-part documentary series during the Hemp Heals Music Festival in Philadelphia, Pa., in late August. Executive producer Dea Riley and producer-director Diana Oliver plan release of “Hemp America—the Revolution” and “Canada—Seeds of Growth” in 2014. Oliver’s previous work, the documentary “Hempsters Plant the Seed,” featured Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and other celebrity endorsers.