ABSTRACT
For most of recorded history, Cannabis sativa was primarily valued as a fiber source, considerably less so as an intoxicant, and only to a limited extent as an oilseed crop. Hemp is one of the oldest sources of textile fiber, with extant remains of hempen cloth trailing back at least six millennia. For thousands of years, hemp has been most valued for rope because of its strength, durability, and water resistance (Bócsa and Karus 1998).
