Hemp Facts
Hemp is one of the oldest
and one of the most all-round useful economic plants. The term hemp
refers to any plant of the genus Cannabis family. The hemp plant
produces clusters of small green flowers and can yield tough fibers
as well as narcotic drugs. Its fibers have been used to make high-quality
paper, rope, twine, and cloth (the original Levi's jeans were made
from hemp).
Essentially there are two parts to the plant that are commonly used
for a diverse number of purposes
- Seed
Whole, hulled or crushed hemp / cannabis seed is used for oil in food products such
as nutrition bars, cakes, breads, biscuits, butter paste, non-dairy
milk, tofu, cheese and ice cream. Other oils are used in cosmetics
such as shampoo, soaps and moisturizers. There are also therapeutic
qualities to the oil similar to evening primrose oil, cod liver
oil, flaxseed oil and soybean supplements.
- Fiber
Some products made from hemp fiber include: all grades of paper,
textiles, structural reinforcement building materials, fuel, fiberglass
alternatives, lightweight sandwich boards, composite boards, kitty
litter, potting mix, nappies and hygiene products.
Hemp has been found to be a lighter yet stronger alternative to
fiberglass putting it in greater demand for both technical and environmental
reasons.
As alternate materials are needed to keep up with world consumption
demands, hemp provides an environmentally friendly crop, which produces
environmentally friendly products.
Hemp has enormous commercial
potential as an alternative materials resource for addressing the
critical supply and demand issues of our modern society. |