This $0 Plant Generates Unlimited Gasoline for Life | Why Was It Banned in 1937?

A plant exists that can fuel all types of engines—diesel trucks, gasoline cars, generators, tractors, and lawnmowers. The Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are legally cultivating this plant, industrial hemp, in fields their ancestors planted 300 years ago. This plant produces two types of fuel: one for diesel engines and another for gasoline engines, without requiring vehicle modifications or special parts. In 2010, the University of Connecticut showed that 97% of hemp oil could be converted into biodiesel, a fact the oil industry would rather keep hidden. This plant was declared illegal in 1937.

The speaker recounts meeting an Amish farmer named Ruben in East Hamfield, who fueled his diesel tractor with what looked like cooking oil. Ruben revealed he grew the fuel himself in the field behind his barn. This fuel source turned out to be industrial hemp (cannabis sativa), which contains less than 0.3% THC, making it non-psychoactive. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation, processing, transport, and sale of industrial hemp, making it as legal as corn, soy, or wheat. However, for 80 years prior, hemp was treated as a narcotic, not because of its psychoactive properties, but due to its threat to the fuel and money interests of four powerful men.

Hemp seeds contain 30-35% oil by weight, which can be extracted using a cold press. This oil can then be converted into biodiesel through transesterification, a basic chemical process. The resulting biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine without modification. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine in the 1890s, originally designed it to run on vegetable oils. At the 1900 Paris World's Fair, his engine successfully ran on peanut oil, fulfilling his vision of farmers growing their own fuel. Diesel mysteriously disappeared from a ship in 1913, with some suggesting foul play due to his work challenging oil monopolies.

After extracting oil from hemp seeds, the remaining stalks are rich in cellulose. Through cellulolysis, cellulose breaks down into simple sugars, which are then fermented to produce ethanol. This hemp ethanol is the same alcohol already blended into gasoline (E10) at pumps, but unlike corn-based ethanol, it comes from a plant that also provides biodiesel. Henry Ford was an early advocate for plant-based fuels. His 1908 Model T could run on gasoline, ethanol, or a mix of both. Ford believed that future fuel would come from fruits, weeds, and sawdust, stating that a single acre of potatoes could provide enough alcohol to cultivate fields for 100 years. In 1941, Ford showcased a prototype car with body panels made from hemp, soy, wheat straw, and flax, powered by hemp ethanol, collaborating with George Washington Carver.

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively banned hemp. Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, intentionally used the Mexican slang 'marihuana' to disconnect the plant from its common names—cannabis and hemp—which doctors and farmers would have recognized. Anslinger, whose department was facing obsolescence after Prohibition ended, found a new enemy in cannabis. He was aided by powerful figures like William Randolph Hearst (whose newspaper and timber interests were threatened by hemp paper), the DuPont family (who had patented nylon and a new wood pulp paper process, both rivaled by hemp), and Andrew Mellon (Treasury Secretary and a major Dupont investor, also Anslinger's father-in-law). Standard Oil, a Rockefeller empire, also saw hemp oil as a threat. These men used their influence to promote exaggerated claims of violence linked to marijuana, leading to the act's passage despite a lack of scientific evidence and opposition from the American Medical Association.

The Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, had cultivated hemp for centuries, even naming a township 'Hempfield' due to its prevalence. When the 1937 law effectively banned hemp nationwide, the Amish adapted to other crops but preserved the traditional knowledge of hemp's uses. This silent preservation prepared them for the future. In the same year, 1937, a biofuel called Agrol, an ethanol-gasoline blend, was sold at 2,000 gas stations across the American Midwest. Supported by the 'Farm Chemurgy' movement championed by Henry Ford, Agrol was a functional and popular fuel. However, despite its success, the plant and its supporting infrastructure were sabotaged by the oil industry, which aggressively campaigned against ethanol and used market manipulation to make Agrol economically unviable. The Agrol plant closed in 1939, and all 2,000 stations disappeared, wiping out a complete infrastructure for plant-based fuel.

When the 2018 Farm Bill re-legalized hemp, the Amish quickly capitalized. Ruben Rie, an Amish farmer, founded Lancaster County Cannabis, growing to move 50,000 pounds of hemp product by 2023. Their sustainable practices and high-quality product command premium prices. The video explains that anyone can legally produce ethanol for motor fuel at home by obtaining a free permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Home distillation equipment is simple and affordable. This homemade ethanol can be blended with gasoline (E10 or E15) for use in standard gasoline engines without modification. Brazil has demonstrated this for decades, running cars on up to 24% ethanol blends without issues. In 2010, the University of Connecticut confirmed that 97% of hemp seed oil could be converted into biodiesel, exceeding American and European standards and showing superior cold-weather performance. One acre of hemp yields 20 gallons of biodiesel from seeds and significant ethanol from stalks, providing complete energy independence for farmers.

In February 1938, Popular Mechanics published an article titled 'New Billion Dollar Crop,' highlighting hemp's potential for over 5,000 products, including fuel, textiles, and food, touting it as a world-standard fiber that would create jobs and a new agricultural economy. This article was published five months *after* the Marihuana Tax Act had already made hemp cultivation illegal. The discrepancy shows how silently and effectively Harry Anslinger and his allies buried this knowledge. For 80 years, the vast potential of hemp and the history of its suppression were largely unknown to the public. The video argues that this knowledge was deliberately silenced to protect the profits of other industries, preventing individuals from achieving energy independence. The Amish, having preserved this knowledge through generations, represent a silent answer to the question of who decided how things should be.