Is Industrial Hemp The Same As Marijuana?

No, even though they are both Cannabis sativa L., Industrial hemp is the non-psychoactive, low-THC, oil seed and fiber varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Hemp has absolutely no use as a recreational drug.

Where Is Industrial Hemp Grown?

Hemp is grown in; Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine.

Is Hemp Legal To Grow In The United States?

YES! The 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (Farm Bill) made hemp a non controlled substance. However, hemp is still regulated and can only be grown with a permit. Each state will have to submit their program to USDA for approval or have passed legislation to remove hemp from the state controlled substances act. Allowing for applications through the USDA’s program.

Can Hemp Be Used As A Food?

Hemp seed is a highly nutritious source of protein and essential fatty oils. Many populations have grown hemp for its seed. Most of them eat it as `gruel’ which is a lot like oatmeal. The leaves can be used as roughage. Hemp seed protein closely resembles protein as it is found in the human blood. It’s easy to digest and for people who have digestive troubles hemp seed is often the natural recommendation. Hemp seed oil provides the human body with essential fatty acids and is the only seed which contains these oils with almost no saturated fat. As a supplement to the diet, these oils can reduce the risk of heart disease. A handful of hemp seed per day will supply adequate protein and essential oils for an adult.

Can Hemp Be Used For Cloth?

YES! The stalk of the hemp plant has two parts, the bast and the hurd. Hemp is harvested for fiber by closely spacing the plants and allowing them to grow until the leaves fall off. The hemp is then cut down and kept lying in the field.. It is turned to expose both sides of the stalk evenly. During this time, the hurd softens and many minerals are returned to the soil, this is called `retting.’ The stalks are then brought to a machine which separates the bast and the hurd. The result is fiber. The fiber (bast) of the hemp plant can then be woven into almost any kind of cloth and is very durable. Compared to all the other natural fibers available, hemp is more suitable and sustainable for most applications.

Can Hemp Be Used To Make Paper?

Both the fiber (bast) and pulp (hurd) of the hemp plant can be used to make paper. Fiber paper was the first kind of paper, and the first batch was made out of hemp in ancient China. Fiber paper is thin, tough, brittle, and a bit rough. Pulp paper is not as strong as fiber paper, but it is easier to make, softer, thicker, and preferable for most everyday purposes. The paper we use most today is a `chemical pulp’ paper made from trees. Hemp pulp paper can be made without chemicals from the hemp hurd. Most hemp paper made today uses the entire hemp stalk, bast and hurd. High-strength fiber paper can be made from the hemp baste, also without chemicals.

The problem with today’s paper is that so many chemicals are used to make it. High strength acids are needed to make quality (smooth, strong, and white) paper out of trees. These acids produce chemicals which are very dangerous to the environment. Paper companies do their best to clean these chemicals up (we hope.) Hemp offers us an opportunity to make affordable and environmentally safe paper for all of our needs, since it does not need much chemical treatment. It is up to consumers, though, to make the right choice — these dangerous chemicals can also be used on hemp to make a slightly more attractive product. Instead of buying the whiter, brighter role of toilet paper, we will need to think about what we are doing to the planet.

Because of the chemicals in today’s paper, it will turn yellow and fall apart as acids eat away at the pulp. This takes several decades, but because of this publishers, libraries and archives have to order specially processed acid free paper, which is much more expensive, in order to keep records. Paper made naturally from hemp is acid free and will last for centuries.

What Other Uses For Hemp?

Using hemp to build is by no means a new idea. French archeologists have discovered bridges built with a process that mineralizes hemp stalks into a long-lasting cement, we call Hempcrete. The process involves no synthetic chemicals and produces a material which works as a filler in building construction and is gaining popularity. These bi products can be used as drywall, insulation, and is long lasting. Manufacturing `press board’ or `composite board.’ This involves gluing fibrous hemp stalks together under pressure to produce a board which is many times more elastic and durable than hardwood. Because hemp produces a long tough fiber, it is the perfect source for press-board. Another application of hemp, is making bio plastic. Most of the non bio degradable plastics we commonly use can be replaced by plastics that can be made from high-cellulose hemp hurd and can be made without much pollution.