Nimes, France, on the Bay of Biscay, was a sailmaking town. The original 'fabrique de Nimes' was canvas made from hemp. 'Canvas' is derived from 'cannabis'. So denim was the original canvas, and it was the original sailcloth, and it was made from the most common fiber of the time. Rich people wore linen from flax, working folks all wore coarser cloth made from hemp fiber. And Mr. Levi-Strauss' original pants were also hemp fiber. Ergo, hemp is as American as apple pie.