Hemp is a versatile plant with a variety of uses, from fuel to fiber to medicine. It is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth and has been used for thousands of years. Hemp is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars that are cultivated specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to manufacture a wide range of products, including paper, ropes, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food and animal feed.
Along with its many uses, hemp is also sustainable and requires minimal water and no pesticides for adequate growth. The four parts of a hemp plant are seeds, stems, roots and leaves. Seeds produce fuel, stems produce fiber, leaves make medicine and roots heal the earth. Hemp rope is so strong that it was once the best choice for rigging and sails on maritime ships. It is also commonly used as concrete in building construction because of its lightness.
Hemp fabric is often blended with cotton or silk to create clothing and jewelry. The main difference between hemp plants and other cannabis plants boils down to their cultivation, use and levels of the delta-9 compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp contains very low levels of THC, while marijuana contains high levels. This measure to legalize hemp at the federal level allowed its cultivation and distribution as a legal agricultural product. The people of Yangshao, who lived in China from approximately 5000 BC. C., wove hemp and pressed it into their pottery for decorative purposes.
Although Christopher Columbus was long thought to have introduced it to the Americas, hemp was discovered in Native American civilizations prior to his arrival. In Australia, state governments have issued licenses to grow hemp for industrial use. CBD is extracted from the flower of the cannabis plant to form a raw paste which is then mixed with fatty carrier bases such as hemp oil or MCT oil. This allows it to be ingested as a supplement or medicine. Hemp has been used for thousands of years in many different ways. Its versatility makes it an ideal material for many applications.
Hemp is sustainable and requires minimal water and no pesticides for adequate growth. It can be used to manufacture a wide range of products including paper, ropes, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food and animal feed.
