Hemp: Not Just A Weed
“Imagine a crop more versatile than the soybean, the cotton plant, and the Douglas fir tree put together…one whose products are interchangeable with those from timber or petroleum…one that grows like Jack’s beanstalk with minimal tending. There is such a crop: Industrial Hemp.” The Great Book of Hemp- Rowan Robinson
Hemp has been cultivated for industrial purposes for thousands of years. Ancient Chinese used hemp starting as far back as 4000 BC, and there have even been remnants of hemp cloth found in Turkey dating back to 8000 BC. Since then hemp has been used for clothing, rope, paper, medicine, food, fuel, plastic, and even concrete. Over time the plant has migrated all over the world, and is presently cultivated in over 30 industrialized nations, including Canada and England.
Hemp is one the most earth friendly crops to grow. And, is highly desired as a rotational crop by organic farmers as it does not require herbicides or pesticides. It grows very fast, shading out any weeds, and it is unpalatable to pests. In the first 30 days after planting, the seeds put down a 12″ taproot which prevents topsoil erosion, making it an ideal plant for river banks. After harvesting, the root system stays in place aerating the soil, and the foliage left on the fields improves soil organic matter and preserves nutrients. For these reasons, as well as its versatility, there’s no wonder why hemp has been the world’s premier renewable resource for the past 10,000 years.
Hemp was once considered indispensable to world commerce because it was used to make sails and rope for trading ships due to its resistance to mildew and salt damage. It is up to four times stronger than cotton, and three times more absorbent. It was also the primary fiber used to make paper up until the late 19th century.
Hemp did not receive a bad name in America until the early nineteen hundreds, just after the rediscovery of pleasure that came from smoking hashish and ganja imported from India and Egypt. It was actually preferred by many to smoke hashish than to drink. But, it was still considered an evil mind altering substance. Many laws were passed, and eventually in 1937 hemp production in the USA ceased as the “Marijuana Tax Act” states no difference between industrial hemp and marijuana. However, they are not the same.
The largest difference between these two varieties of Cannabis sativa is the THC content. Varieties used for drug consumption have 10-15 percent THC, whereas industrial hemp usually has about .01-.03 percent, making it worthless for ‘getting high’. Marijuana grows to an average of five feet in height, is very bushy, and requires at least 18″ between plants. Hemp grows 10-15 feet in height and is spaced only a few inches apart. This makes it impossible to grow both varieties together. Even within one mile of each other the two strands would cross pollinate, making the THC lower in marijuana and the fibers weak in hemp.
It seems to be a shame that even with all the known facts and differences between these two varieties of Cannabis, we still do not utilize industrial hemp for what it is truly worth. The United States is the largest importer of hemp products, yet we have more than ample land to cultivate it. In the words of Henry Ford, “Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?”. It’s about time we look at hemp as more than just a weed.
For further reading:
Hemp Info
The Great Book of Hemp
The Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana
Industrial Hemp
.jpg)
