HEMP Facts
Hemp revival is beginning to gain momentum and perception is beginning to shift.
Hemp is the miracle plant of our time and is one of the most versatile materials on the planet. It can be used for an astonishing amount of products such as Nutrition - Skin Care - Building - Clothing and Healing polluted soil, plus it’s net environmental benefit is impressive.
What can hemp do?
Hemp is one of the oldest domesticated crops known to man.
In the last decade hemp has been widely promoted as a crop for the future. This is stimulated by new technologies, which make hemp suitable for industrial paper manufacturing, use as a renewable energy source (bio fuel), and the use of hemp derivatives as replacement for petrochemical products.
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The increased demand for health food has stimulated the trade in shelled hemp seed. Hemp oil is increasingly being used in the manufacturing of body care products.
Hemp body care
Not only is hemp oil rich in vitamins A and E, it also contains trace amounts of important minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium and phosphorus. It is also high in antioxidants, which are elements that prevent or slow cell damage.
Due to its high content of beneficial oils and natural emollient properties, hemp is becoming a common ingredient in cosmetic products. It is a good alternative to the toxic chemicals present in many petroleum based lotions and cosmetics.
The Hemp Lady Homemade Hemp Seed Quiche
Hemp food and nutrition
Hemp foods are becoming more and more popular as the public discovers the nutritional benefits and culinary uses of hemp.
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Hempseeds and hemp oil are highly nutritious and delicious. Hempseeds are an excellent source of protein, minerals, and dietary fiber. Hemp is the only plant that contains all of the essential fatty acids and amino acids required by the human body. These essential nutrients affect a variety of body functions, including metabolism, the skin, mood, behavior, the brain, and the heart.
Many people eat fish and take fish oil supplements to get these essential fats, however concerns around over fishing and the chemical contamination of modern fish have made many choose to switch to hemp instead. It is an especially excellent option for vegetarians.
Hemp foods are becoming more and more popular as the public discovers the nutritional benefits and culinary uses of hemp.
Hemp for livestock
Hemp is also good for animals, and some veterinarians recommend including it in the diets of pets and livestock. When hempseed is included in birdseed, songbirds will pick it out of the mix as they prefer it over other seeds.
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Animals such as horses and cows respond well to hemp meal as a dietary supplement as it is high in protein as well as the residual EFA’s (essential fatty acids).
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A further benefit is that Hemp is grown without pesticides or herbicides and is not genetically modified (in comparison to canola).
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Hemp Seed Oil and Hemp Seed Cake (meal) has great potential in the animal industry. Immediate applications include the addition of Hemp meal and its protein into animal food/concentrates and the oil as a supplement. Future areas of research and application need to involve clinical trials and specific essential fatty acid research in the animal model.
Hemp Seed Meal is sometimes known as hemp protein flour. This is not the same as hemp protein. Hemp Protein is made from hemp seed meal, which is the by-product of pressing hemp seed oil.
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A final note is that Hemp is now being used as hypoallergenic bedding in farms. This has great potential in terms of double cropping.
hemp housing
HEMPCRETE has no equal as a natural building product, sequestering carbon dioxide for the life of the building. Created by simply combining water, hemp aggregate and a lime-based binder it produces a building product with excellent thermal insulating and acoustic properties. The insulation forms the entire wall with the load bearing timber frame fully encased. Hempcrete is not just an insulator, it buffers temperature and humidity, prevents damp and mould growth, making the building a comfortable healthy environment.
hemp FIBer
Until its rediscovery in the late 1980s, the use of hemp for fiber production had declined sharply over the past decades, but hemp still occupied an important place amongst natural fibers, as it is strong, durable and unaffected by water. The main uses of hemp fiber were in rope, sacking, carpet, nets and webbing. A hemp clothing industry was reborn in the West in 1988, and hemp is being used in increasing quantities in paper manufacturing. The cellulose content is about 70%.
fuel and cars
Fuel can be a by-product of hemp cultivation. One fuel would be biodiesel because of the oils in the seeds and stalk of the Hemp plant, another would be biofuel from the fibrous stalks.
In 1941, Henry Ford held a media event where he swung an axe at a prototype car body made of hemp and other plant material to prove its strength. The technology was never put into mass production and cars are continued to be made of steel and plastics made from petrochemicals became the norm.
plastic alternatives
Standard plastic is made from fossil fuels using toxic chemicals. Almost everything we buy is wrapped in cellophane and our landfills are full of it. A variety of alternatives to plastic can be made from hemp.
Fortunately, the number of available products made from hemp plastics is on the increase as awareness of the importance of developing sustainable alternatives grows.
These sunglasses may make you look good, but they could make the planet look better, too — because rather than plastic, their frames are made from flax and hemp.
FORGET THE STIGMA
DO the research
What Can’t Hemp Do?
Hemp can do a lot, but it can’t get you HIGH.
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Industrial Hemp contains virtually zero Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the physco-active ingredient in Cannabis.
