But, Cannabis is mainly used as an illegal drug in the United States today. Hemp is one of the world's most widely distributed plants. It occurs in most of the temperate and tropic regions of the world. It grows in the Himalaya Mountains, tropical Africa, East Africa, South Africa, United States and Canada. It grows widely in the United States, including Hawaii.
Escaped forms are abundant in the Midwest.
Hemp does not grow well in the dry mountainous regions of the western states but does grow well in other parts of the country. Yes, there is still numerous wild plants that are impossible to control, however, the United States government is mainly working today on destruction of illegally grown crops. The estimated street value of this illegal crop is about one billion dollars. This fact, of course, makes our beautiful National Forests extremely dangerous to explore. During raids, law enforcement officials have found booby traps and explosives, including trip wires, firearms, pipe bombs and hand grenades.