In this blog, you’ve read a lot about hemp and CBD. But, it occurred to me that I’ve never really explained what hemp is, and why it’s so valuable. So, here goes.
First things first, hemp is not marijuana; it’s a distant cousin. Hemp is nonpsychoactive, which means you can’t get high when using it. It’s more fibrous so it’s known as industrial hemp.
Although both plants can be used medicinally, hemp’s value is more diverse. For instance the seeds and flowers provide raw materials that can be used in food, organic body care and other products that have medicinal value, including:
· Bread, granola, milk, cereal, and protein powder from the nuts.
· Fuel, lubricants, ink, varnish, paint, margarine, body products and cosmetics from the oil.
· Animal food and flour from the cake.
The fibers and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, and more including:
· Animal bedding, mulch, chemical absorbent, fiberboard, insulation and concrete from the hurd, or coarse parts of the plant that adhere to the fiber after it’s separated from the stalk.
· Rope, netting, canvas, carpet, clothes, shoes and bags from the bast fiber, or vascular tissue of the plant.
· Cardboard, paper products and filters from the stalk.
Unfortunately, to create hemp products in the United States, we need to import it from other countries. Why? Well, out of ignorance, hemp was tarred with the same brush that tarred marijuana, and in 1957 was banished from agriculture. Things are changing, however, and these two articles will give you some deeper background on what’s changing and why. It’s about time.
U.S.: Congressmen Introduce Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017