# Is the US Constitution written on Hemp?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 5, 2001, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438 "2001-05-05T11:51:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/1 "2001-05-05T11:51:29Z")

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I heard it claimed that the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights are both on hemp paper.

This doesn’t seem all that far-fetched to me considering that hemp was grown by many of the founding fathers as a useful (and non-recreational) crop.

Of course, I favor legalization, so I recognize that I might be projecting a little wishful thinking on this possibility. So what’s the deal?

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/2 "2001-05-05T13:16:36Z")

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According to [http://www.britannica.com](http://www.britannica.com), the Declaration is written on parchment, so the answer to that part of your question is no.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/3 "2001-05-05T13:20:23Z")

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And [this site](http://www.darkhorse2000.com/html/history-con.html), whose authority I cannot vouch for, claims the Constitution is on parchment as well.

I would be surprised if the Founding Fathers would have trusted anything less than parchment for documents they saw as important.

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**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/4 "2001-05-05T13:28:26Z")

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We can always smoke it and find out. 😉

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**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/5 "2001-05-05T19:18:04Z")

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Being for legalization, i fell for that one too. Hemp paper was used considerably in Revolution times. It was considered a lower grade paper like notebook paper today. Parchment was considered higher quality. Could you imagine the Declaration of Independence written on a piece of notebook paper?

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/6 "2001-05-05T19:24:39Z")

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“Okay, guys, here’s my first draft: it’s written on a bar napkin, sorry about that…”

(The [_Britannica_](http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=43216&tocid=0) also refers to the original document of the Declaration being on parchment.)

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/7 "2001-05-05T19:26:24Z")

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Which KneadToKnow already said. Never mind.

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**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2001, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-constitution-written-on-hemp/64438/8 "2001-05-05T19:34:34Z")

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I always thought it was the **Deloration of Independence** that was written on hemp. Can anyone help me out on this one?