Who’s Ready for Hemp?

Seriously.

And, I am talking hemp — legal, industrial hemp. Although hemp and marijuana are both classified as cannabis from a biological perspective, key differences exist.

What is Hemp?

A key difference that makes hemp legal is that it a plant that does not produce enough THC to create “intoxicating effects” or produce a “high”. Technically, the hemp plant does not contain more than 0.3% THC. In the U.S., plants producing less than 0.3% THC is recognized as industrial hemp.

The world of fruit provides good analogies. Apples for example, offer a wide variety to choose from -

red delicious, gala, honey crisp, granny smith and more. In the citrus family, varieties are perhaps even more distinct from sweet tangerines to sour lemons. So, it is with the cannabis family, and at least 779 strains within it.

What Hemp’s History as a Crop?

For over 10,000 years, hemp served a variety of purposes with virtually all parts of the plant being used from the fibrous stems to its protein-bearing seeds to oil-laden flowers and leaves. Products made from hemp range from textiles for both personal and industrial use to building materials to paper, as well as for food and body care.

As a crop, every part of the hemp plant offers commercial potential; nothing needs to be wasted or discarded.

Hemp took a “bad rap” in the early 1900’s as recreational use of marijuana developed. Reasons why hemp was included in the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act range from “it was hard” to distinguish between the hemp and its cousin that produces marijuana to a conspiracy theory that hemp created too much competition for influential businesspeople like W. R. Hearst and the DuPont family.

Hearst had huge holdings in timber for paper for his newspaper business. DuPont was developing synthetic fibers in the 1920s. Some have speculated that they, and other industrialists viewed hemp as a threat to markets they wished to develop, and were influential in making hemp illegal along with marijuana.

Why is Hemp Relevant Today?

The extensive uses for hemp remain today, of course. Added relevance comes by way of many environmental benefits hemp offers. For just a few examples, hemp:

· Breathes in Co2. It is basically nature’s air purifier.

· Regenerates the soil.

· Supports sustainable farming.

· Resists pests, so requires few pesticides.

· Prevents soil erosion.

· Needs little water.

· Is so fully usable, that little goes to waste.

· Absorbs toxic metals.

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