This article by Robert Hoban was originally published on Forbes and appears here with permission.
In his Republic, Plato put forth the notion that necessity is the mother of invention. This remains as true today as in ancient Greece. It also serves to answer the question of why Poland is such a global pioneer for the industrial hemp plant.
Across the street was an old, run-down building, a synagogue built in the early 1900s. During WWII, it was taken over by German soldiers who turned it into barracks and built a swimming pool. Eighty years later, it was just the way they’d left it, a standing reminder of the destruction and violence the war had unleashed. For the Polish people, it remains a symbol of resilience for a country that’s rebuilt itself many times throughout history.