Hemp

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Hemp Flakes

Hemp is the common name for plants of the entire genus Cannabis, although the term is often used to refer only to Cannibas strains cultivated for industrial (non-drug) use.

Industrial hemp has many uses, including fuel, biodegradable plastics, health food, paper, and textiles. It is one of the earliest domesticated plants known, one of the fastest growing biomasses known, running parallel with the "Green Future" objectives which are becoming increasingly popular.

Hemp requires no herbicides, little to no pesticides, controls erosion of topsoil, and produces oxygen. It can be used to replace many harmful products such as tree paper, cosmetics, and plastics (petroleum based products that do not decompose easily).

The US is the only industrialized nation to continue to ban industrial hemp, despite it being the world's largest importer of hemp. The US government makes no distinction between marijuana and non-psychoactive Cannibas used for industrial and commercial purposes.

1 Uses
2 Cultivation
- 2.1 Varieties
3 Future of Hemp
4 External Links
5 Relevant discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

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Uses

Hemp has a variety of uses.

Material
- Fiber blends
- Concrete strengthener
Food
- Seeds contain all the essential amino acids and fatty acids needed to maintain healthy human life. They can be:
  - Eaten raw
  - Ground into a meal
  - Sprouted
  - Made into hemp milk (like soy milk)
  - Prepared as tea
  - Used in baking

In the UK, hemp is treated as a non-food crop; seeds appear on the UK market as a legal food product, but cultivation licenses are not available for this purpose. In the US, hemp seed food products are sold in small volumes, typically in health food stores or by mail order.

Body Care
- Hemp seed oil has moisturizing and replenishing properties that make it one of the best vegetable based body care foundations
Medicine
- Hemp seed oil has anti-inflammatory properties
Fiber
- Used to make paper
  - The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson on hemp paper
- Used to make canvas (the word canvas derives from cannabis)
- Used to make rope and sacking
- Used to make carpets
- Used to make netting and webbing
Weed Control
- Due to its height, foliage density, and high planting density as a crop, it is very effective in killing tough weeds
  - Reduces the need for herbicides
  - Help farmers gain organic certification
  - Gain benefits of crop rotation
Fuel
- Hemp seeds and stalks can be made into biodiesel and alcohol fuel

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Cultivation

Industrial hemp breeding since 1930 has focused on producing strains which would perform poorly as sources of drug material.

Hemp grown for fiber is planted closely, resulting in tall, slender plants with long fibers and should be harvested before it flowers. The early harvest is done because fiber quality decreases if flowering is allowed, and the harvesting also prevents the herb's maturity as a potential source of drug material. But, strains of industrial hemp have very low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, making them a bad source of drug material at any time.

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Varieties

There are three broad groups of Cannabis being cultivated today.

Varieties cultivated primarily for their fiber
Varieties grown for seed from which hemp oil is extracted
Varieties grown for medicinal uses, spiritual development, or recreational purposes

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Future of Hemp

Hemp has become increasingly popular in the US and abroad. Canada has been increasing its crop and exports; Canada grows hemp for seed and oil, not fiber. Prices are too high now for any significant consumer use.

Hemp laws are being passed throughout the US; pro-hemp laws have been passed in a dozen states. In North Dakota, farmers no longer need DEA approval to grow industrial hemp (which is now distinguished from marijuana).

Increases in the demand for organic materials, biodegradable plastics, fiber-reinforced composites, and health foods make the future bright for hemp and hemp products.

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