A phrase that appears
rubberstamped on the face of a surprisingly vast number of U.S. one-dollar-bills currently in circulation. The three words are contained within a
dialogue bubble next to
George Washington's head.
The statement is intended to draw reference to the oft-forgotten fact that Washington and many other prominent men from the founding of the Nation grew hemp on their personal farms.
Apparently, several entries in Washington's personal diary reinforce this assertion.
The humorous and politically poignant statment brought up by the stamped bills pokes fun at good ole' American hypocrisy and the continued prevalence of the memory hole in (post)modern culture.
Other bizarre stamps have surfaced from time to time, most drawing attention to political issues or are merely jokes. Most are anonymous (however, some of the 'I Grew Hemp' rubber stamps used to mark the bills are sold by an old hippy couple in Woodstock, NY) perhaps with the motivation to avoid Federal prosecution for defacing currency. In spite of this commonly-held conception, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing states:
"Defacement of currency in such a way that it is made unfit for circulation comes under the jurisdiction of the United States Secret Service."
So, it seems that as long as the legal tender can still be circulated, i.e. the denomination can be easily identified or the bill can still be used in a vending machine, stamping may not technically be a crime.
All in all, this phenomenon may be an effective means of subversive anarchist protest.
Sources:
http://cruelty.com/money/
http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml9613.htm
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mgw:@field(DOCID+@lit(mgw1b651))