Hemp is a plant that belongs to the same family as marijuana (cannabis). It is used to make a variety of products, such as clothing, canvas, cellophane, rope, diapers, paper, cosmetics, soap, and even fuel. Many consider hemp products to be environmentally friendly, because the plant grows quickly and easily and doesn't require a lot of fertilizer or pesticides. It is also inexpensive to grow.

The hemp plant can also be used for food. Hemp seed oil is a good source of protein and essential fatty acids, and is used in food products such as bread, granola, waffles, pretzels, and chips.

Because of its close relationship to marijuana, people often confuse hemp with it's psychoactive cousin. Despite the fact that hemp contains a very small amount of the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana (tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC), it is not enough to consider it a psychoactive substance.

Nevertheless, in October 2001, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration banned hemp foods containing THC from the market, though it continued to allow the sale of products that wouldn't be consumed, such as paper, rope, and clothing. The Hemp Industries Association challenged the DEA ruling, saying that hemp food products contain no more THC than the amount of opiate contained in a poppy-seed bagel. And in 2004, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that "non-psychoactive hemp products" may not be included in the DEA list of dangerous drugs.

Many in the hemp product industry believe that the dispute with the DEA increased profits, as sales of hemp foods almost doubled in the three years following the 2001 ruling.