During the late 1930s and early '40s Henry Ford was obsessed with the idea that synthetic plastic made from chemical technology could be replaced by fabricated materials that came naturally from the earth. He called it Chemurgian technology and designed both a car and bomber around his idea. By 1942 he had invented the Hempmobile which was lighter and stronger than rival cars. But b/c the car used hemp as one of its components, the laws of the time were immediately used by DuPont to condemn the technology. They got publicity aid from Hearst which bombarded Ford with negative opinions about using hemp. DuPont wanted a monopoly on synthetic plastics for the war effort applied to gun turrets for bombers and aircraft parts. The B-26 for example used over 400 plastic parts. Ford's tech would allow entire fleets of Chemurgian military transports, light armored vehicles, and even a large strategic bomber by Ford- the Green Arrow design which could take German flak and survive much greater German fighter punishment than any B-17 or B-24. Ford demonstrated the car in public by using an axe on it to show how resilient it was to damage. But the harm was done and proved an embarassment for the company. The 1942 Hemp Mobile was therefore never sold to the public and is usually kept out of any Ford chronology. The Ford bomber also never got any consideration. Yet the US in WW2 used hemp in vast supply for parachute rigging, firefighting hoses on ships and on land, as synthetic lubricants for engines, and other uses. As long as it didn't interfere with DuPont's chemical monopoly, hemp was fine! Ford gave up... a tragedy that could have saved countless lives in WW2 with the bomber crews and provided decent motor vehicles to civilians during wartime.

Ford Hempmobile: http://www.hempnow.co.za/Blog/files/henry-ford-hemp-car.jpg