Simple title, very interesting subject. Let me first start by explaining hemp a little more, seeing as most people (understandably) think of the drug marijuana when the ‘h’ word appears in conversation. First of all, the component of marijuana that gets you high is THC, and marijuana has a THC content between 3% and 20% (with 3% obviously being really, really bad product). Hemp on the other hand sits at 0.5%, and therefore about as useful at getting you stoned as smoking your t-shirt.
The juiciest information lies in hemps nutritional prowess.
Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and all the essential fatty acids necessary to maintain human life. Hemp seeds and oil are actually the best source of omega 3 and 6, and they are in the perfect ratio balance for the body to absorb and use them. Hemp seeds are a significant (read: it’s possible to gain a large portion of you daily requirements from hemp seeds alone) source of dietary fiber, calcium, and iron, and there are no known allergies to hemp seeds.
Historically, hemp has been grown for the past 12 000 years for material, paper and food. These days, there are over 25 000 (read: twenty five THOUSAND) different products that can be made with hemp. Because of its long fibres, the products produced with hemp would be lighter and stronger compared to those made of wood.
Hemp material can be made up to linen grade, and blocks UV rays more effectively than cotton and most synthetics.
Hemp paper can be recycled more times than normal paper.
Hemp fibres are more environmentally friendly to pulp than wood, meaning no extremely toxic chemicals necessary!
Hemp grows happily in a larger variety of climates and soils than cotton, it is naturally resistant to most pests (means no chemical pesticides), and outcompetes weeds, so no herbicides either, and a weed free field for the next crop to be planted (just quickly, for this reason hemp is used as a ‘clearing crop’, and also because it cleans and replaces nutrients in the soil that are removed with commercial crops).
Hemp yields four times the dry fiber per acre than the average forestry crop.
And a quick fact about cotton: 50% of the worlds pesticides are sprayed on cotton crops.
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