The entire hemp plant is useful and could replace the need to deforest our nation for wood pulp to create paper and building materials. Hemp produces better quality paper than wood pulp and can be combined into recycled wood pulp to increase the strength and durability of new paper products. The long strong hemp fiber can be pressed into fiberboard and studs for construction materials that are heat, mildew, pest, light, and rot resistant. Termites will not eat durable hemp fibers. One acre of hemp produces 4 times the usable paper pulp than an acre of old growth forest which takes 50 to 100 times long to replenish. Hemp produces twice the usable fiber than cotton per acre and textiles made with hemp last longer are lighter in weight and warmer than cotton.
Hemp seeds contain natures perfect balance of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids and easily digested simple proteins needed by our bodies, making hemp seeds the closest to a perfect sustenance food source. Hemp seed oil has a light nutty flavor that is an even healthier cooking choice than extra virgin olive oil. Hemp seed oil also produces excellent and healthy soaps, cosmetics, shampoos and lotions. There are many of these products already available in Americans stores but they are now mostly imported from Europe and Canada which do not have ridiculous laws prohibiting growing this most valuable commodity.
Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) has been a valuable commodity crop. If we planted industrial hemp on just 6% of American lands we could regenerate our industrial base and create 100% of our energy needs here in local factories that would employ millions of Americans producing advanced biofuels, biomass electrical energy, hemp cordage and textiles, hemp fiber building materials, hemp paper and card stock, hempcrete and hemp biodegradable plastics. Far more important than the mild euphoric aspect of cannabis flowers which is commonly called by the Mexican slang term Marijuana are the economic and biofuel aspect of the cannabis plant. One acre of hemp can produce the same amount of paper pulp as 4 acres of old growth forest. Hemp fibers are already being used in Europe as a lower cost strong lightweight safer substitute for fiberglass and carbon fiber in the construction of body panels for cars and trucks. Hemp seed oil is a biodiesel, it was the first fuel used by Henry Ford. Hemp produces 40% more ethanol per acre than corn and grows on marginal lands without any pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers required.
Growing hemp actually improves soil conditions which if rotated properly would add millions of acres of marginal farmlands into food production. Hemp makes very good quality paper and cloth, producing more than twice the usable fiber for textiles as cotton which consumes much of the chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in America, only slightly less than corn and soy. We could actually move away from foreign petrochemical dependence if we ended this unrealistic prohibition on a plant that has throughout the history of man one of the most valuable commodities.
Every part of the plant is useful. The stalk produces a long strong fiber for cordage and textiles. The branches and leaves are excellent high cellulose biomass for energy production. Hemp seeds are as close as you can get to a perfect sustenance food with highly digestible simple proteins and a perfect balance of Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids which makes hemp seed oil even healthier than extra virgin olive oil or it can be used directly as biodiesel. Learn more by watching the Story of Jack Herer the unlikely Emperor of Hemp.
Hemp Facts:
Until 1883, 75-90% of all paper in America was made with hemp.
Hemp seed was the # 1-selling bird feed; 4 million pounds were sold in the U.S. in 1937.
In the mid-to-late 1800's the 2nd & 3rd most commonly used medications were concentrated cannabis extracts and resins (a.k.a. hashish).
A bridge in the south of France dated at 500-700 A.D. was built with a mixture of hemp.
In 1941 Henry Ford built a car with a composite plastic made from hemp and wheat straw.
Until 1937 70-90% of all rope and twine was made with hemp.
Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations.
In 1850 the U.S. Census reported 8,327 hemp plantation of at least 2000 acres in size. Not counted were thousands of smaller crops.
The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemp.Type your paragraph here.The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemp.
In 1942 the U.S. government strongly encouraged hemp cultivation to help with the war effort, going so far as to produce a film entitled Hemp For Victory.
The version of the Declaration of Independence released on July 4, 1776 was written on hemp. (Ref: Hemp.com)