Why would such a seemingly above board person like Mary Jane perform such an outrageous act? Was Mary Jane a closet ecofeminist or just a hippie at heart? Apparently, Mary Jane was simply acting under orders from her vacationing supervisor, so her purchasing decision was rightfully excused. There's no excuse, however, for anyone to be hazy about Hemp paper's many benefits. Hemp paper, despite its racy reputation, is actually about as innocent as a newborn baby.

Unbelievable, but true: Hemp paper is edgy, environmental, and legal, too!

Now you can blaze a trail of truth, snuff-out ignorance, and help others see the need to lighten up when it comes to Hemp paper. If your next design project begins to reek of poor paper selection, be sure to clear the air before it's too late by reading the rest of PaperView for more enlightening commentary on Hemp paper.

It's one thing to consider a major medical breakthrough as "revolutionary," but would you ever call a paper company revolutionary? Probably not, unless you're considering Crane & Co. Since Crane's early beginnings, the mill has had a long and storied history when it comes to creating innovative products like their Hemp paper. In 1775, Stephen Crane supplied patriot Paul Revere with paper. Revere used Crane's paper to print the American colonies' first paper money to help finance the American Revolution. How revolutionary is that?

Since its formal incorporation in 1801, Crane & Co. has been at the forefront of paper innovation, transforming the production of currency paper. Located about 130 miles west of Boston, the Dalton, Massachusetts company has been in the money, so to speak, from colonial times to the present.

After assisting Revere's patriotic efforts, Crane went on to pioneer the development of security paper. By imbedding silk threads into banknote paper, currency counterfeiting was discouraged. Crane's main claim to fame, however, has been their upscale stationery products line. Cotton correspondence papers produced by Crane have been popular in social circles across the country for years while thousands of companies have selected Crane's paper for their letterhead.

This month's edition of PaperView is printed on Crane's 24 lb. Hemp paper, a grade containing 50% hemp fiber. A tall plant which grows up to twenty feet high, hemp originated in Asia. In America, industrial hemp was initially put to use in rather revolutionary ways: drafts of both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were written on hemp paper.

Industrial hemp usage continued to grow until the 1930's. Then, the federal government abruptly declared industrial hemp illegal to grow in the U.S. Why? The government mysteriously cited inaccurate data that industrial hemp contained THC, the drug found in marijuana. Although marijuana is indeed made from hemp, the industrial hemp strain has insignificant amounts of THC. Faced with severe fiber shortages during World War II, the government temporarily suspended the prohibition on industrial hemp cultivation. Today, industrial hemp farming is still banned in the U.S.

Nevertheless, it's perfectly legal to make and use industrial hemp paper. For now, Crane's imports hemp fiber from Europe. A number of states including Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wisconsin are, however, pushing legislation to legalize industrial hemp. You can cast your vote by using hemp paper today!

Hemp Paper

Weight 24 lb. Writing, 80 lb. Text, 90 lb. Cover

Sheet Sizes 8-1/2 x 11, 23 x 35, 25 x 38, 26 x 40

Sheets/Carton Variable

Color Cream White

Other Chlorine-Free, Matching Envelopes, Recyclable

Shown on 24 lb. Cream White Hemp Writing Paper.

From ancient Chinese woodcuttings to today's mixed media, printmaking has evolved over the centuries from its humble graphic origins into a diverse collection of sophisticated artistry. Joan Hall, the head of Washington University's Department of Printmaking, has had the unique experience of observing the evolution of printmaking and how it relates to paper. Recently named the school's Kenneth E. Hudson Professor of Art, the Mansfield, Ohio native has taught art at the college since 1978. A highly accomplished artist herself, Joan's works have been exhibited at such institutions as the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Joslyn Museum of Art. In an interview with PaperView from her office in St. Louis, Joan shared some of her insights into the printmaking world.

PV: Printmaking encompasses a wide variety of artistic techniques. What's your favorite medium?

JH: I like to work with a mixed media approach to printmaking. Most of the time, I use collagraphy and lithography.

PV: Do you think today's technology like the Internet impacts printmaking studies in a positive or negative way?

JH: The Internet has opened up a good community for networking and reading technical information, so it's been pretty positive overall.

PV: Your papermaking artwork has been featured at many museums. Tell us about your displayed works.

JH: Well, I love sailboat racing, so many of my pieces are suggestive of the sea. I like to multi-layer the sheets of paper I've made using different textures, weights, and densities. The layering represents the water and the mysteries that lie below.

PV: Speaking of water, St. Louis has its fair share of high humidity. When the weather's steamy, do you experience problems making paper?

JH: Fortunately, I work in an air-conditioned space, so humidity is not a problem. I suppose humidity would help with wavy-looking paper. How nautical!

A look at the historical development of paper...

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1639: Almost 20 years after the Mayflower's arrival, the Pilgrims' need for less expensive hymnals led to the launching of North America's first printing press. Stephen Daye and his son Matthew arrived in the fledging Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. The father and son team quickly had a press running by the next year. In 1640, the Dayes produced The Bay Psalm Book. A hit throughout New England, The Bay Psalm Book was not only the first book printed in the English colonies, but also the first publication written in America.

Toast It: By 1910, virtually all U.S. commercial bakeries used wrapping paper to enhance the freshness of their bread products. The paper was used to help store bakeries compete against the overwhelming amount of home baked bread, then estimated at about 95 percent.

Paper Waste: About 40 percent of all paper and paperboard mills in the U.S. depend entirely on recycled paper for their pulp needs, while about 80 percent of the mills use varying amounts of recovered paper.

The Practice: The Magna Carta, an important document that led to the establishment of constitutional law in England and the U.S., was written on parchment in 1215.

A. Stuff

B. Fourdrinier

C. Yankee Machine

1. A _________ is what today's modern paper machine is usually called, although technically, the term refers only to the wet end of the machine.

2. Used to produce a glazed paper finish, a ____________ contains a large, single dryer that has a highly polished surface.

3. The wet papermaking material that is ready for the paper machine is known as ________.

"All a child's life depends on the ideal it has of its parents. Destroy that and everything goes--morals, behavior, everything. Absolute trust in someone else is the essence of education."