Westphalia, MO—6-12-12—This past week from June 4^th until June 10^th was the 3^rd annual Hemp History week.  It is now a tradition for a small but growing number of Americans.  Its goal is to educate people around the world about what industrial hemp can do for all people.

 In 1900 at the Paris Worlds Fair Rudolph Diesel introduced a new engine to the spectators.  To their amazement, the engine block did not run on petroleum.  The engine block ran on peanut oil.  Rudolph Diesel actually built the engine to run off of seed oils like that of vegetable and hemp.

 In 1941 Henry Ford introduced a new car to those interested in American innovation.  The car had been built on his large estate and had been named “the car which grew from the soil”.  The car was built from industrial hemp.  The engine ran off hemp diesel and the car parts made from hemp fiber materials.  The car body itself was ten times harder than steel and weighed 2/3 less than steel.  Henry Ford believed in the safety of hemp fiber board so much he let a sledge hammer test his theory.  The sledge hammer lost.

 In more modern times we celebrate the Canadian car company Motive and their new release the Kestrel.  For the first time ever, the market will have a hemp car that runs off electricity.  The Kestrel has been tested for some features against other cars in it’s own category like the Ford Fusion.  The one glaring benefit has been the weight differential.  The Ford Fusion weighs 3,700 pounds while the Kestrel weighs just 2,500 pounds.  The engineers have noted that the tonnage difference helps the battery output and should increase fuel efficiency about 30 percent for the Kestrel.  The Kestrel will retail off the lot at $25,000.

 In 1941 Henry Ford and his hemp car defeated a sledge hammer.  Now his company is defeated by red tape.  Thanks to Democrats and Republicans, the American is now the follower and Canada is in the lead.  Welcome to the new America.

 Steven Wilson is a Libertarian Candidate running for US congress in the Missouri 3^rd district.  His website is http://www.missouristatesman.com/.