Not to be confused with Delta-9 psychoactive recreational marijuana, industrial hemp has virtually no THC chemicals at all. Hemp is rich in cannabinol (CBD), the medicinal component that offers infinite benefits that are nothing short of miraculous. With over 50,000 multiple uses and millenniums of cultivation, one can only deduce that this solitary plant has been a gift from God to mankind. What better way to celebrate Earth Day but to grow hemp.

The multiple benefits of industrial hemp. Credit: European Industrial Hemp Association

• 1) The Holy Bible: The very first Bibles were printed on hemp paper. In the 15th century, the Gutenberg Bible was printed on hemp paper primarily due to its ability to resist mold, mildew, fungus, dry rot and bookworms (pests, moths, termites, etc) that would often contaminate libraries devouring and ruining thousands of books in that time period. Two centuries later in the 17th century, the King James version of the Bible would also be printed on hemp paper for the same reasons due to its proven durability sought out by clergy worldwide as the Bible of choice.
• 2) Health and Healing Properties: Hemp plants contain Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabigerol (CBG), Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), Cannabidivarin (CBDV) and Cannabinol (CBD). These all-natural by-products of the hemp plant contain some amazing health benefits that our culture has shunned over the last century. Holistic approaches to palliative care, appetite enhancement, inflammation control, antispasmodic symptoms, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, are just a few notable qualities of cannabis/hemp. And that is just a short list. The reason its works so well is because the human body readily recognizes the CBD’s due to the existing endocannabinoid receptors found throughout our cells and nervous system. Our body responds to the natural healing properties associated with these CBD’s with no side effects. In addition, cannabinol, especially the Indica cannabis varieties, are the best known natural sleep aids in the world with no hangover feeling the next day. Far superior to melatonin, alcohol or prescription drugs.
• 3) Biodegradability: This factor alone is the number one reason why ALL petroleum-based plastic shopping bags need to be banned and replaced with plasticized hemp bags that are 100% biodegradable within six months and 2.5 times stronger than existing plastic bags of the same thickness. Current conventional petroleum plastic products could take hundreds of years at best, to fully disintegrate with toxic consequences. No one really knows for sure how long it may end up taking. Another growing dilemma plaguing our landfills are diapers. Surprisingly, statistics show that the real problem is not just the baby variety. More and more adult incontinence ‘diapers’ are rapidly surpassing the number of nappies being discarded every day posing an environmental as well as a biohazardous threat. Without proper containment and landfill incineration, our garbage dumps are quickly becoming a toxic waste hazard seeping into our water supplies with potentially catastrophic repercussions in the near future.
• 4) BioMass Fuels: Hemp plants grow fast and tall, as high as 30ft in a 100-day growing season. Which equates to 3-4 growing seasons a year depending on where it’s cultivated. Hemp plants can grow just about anywhere in the most unlikely adverse conditions. It is exceptionally hardy and robust in withstanding a number of environmental elements. It grows in a dense area footprint and can produce high yields of plant material that can be processed to produce a variety of biofuels that are safer and exponentially more bio-friendly. In fact, some of the first automobiles were able to run on hemp-based biofuels. Henry Ford even manufactured a vehicle almost entirely out hemp and fueled by hemp bio-ethynol. Likewise, Canadian automaker, Kestral is manufacturing a hemp plastic vehicle in Quebec. The hemp composite body is much lighter than steel and exponentially stronger with significant gas/electric savings making this the most eco-friendly car in the world.
• 5) Ecological Contribution: Industrial hemp is one of (if not the most) ecologically sound crops in the history of mankind. Besides all of its other uses, hemp contributes to the environment in a myriad of ways and if allowed to propagate, has the potential to single-handedly save our planet. Hemp needs very little water and no herbicides to grow. Due to the heightened level of various terpenes emitted from the stalk and flower, it naturally repels insects providing itself with its own self-defense mechanism and zero pesticide contamination. Because it grows so dense and deep, it has the ability to prevent erosion keeping valuable top soils in areas that are prone to flooding. While the roots are busy holding the earth together, they are also depositing copious amounts of much-needed nitrogen back into the soil. Few other crops can do this as well as hemp which makes it the perfect rotation crop. With stalks growing as high as trees in just three months, hemp leaves scrub the air of pollutants while transforming carbon dioxide to oxygen on a large scale.

Unfortunately, industrial hemp is illegal in the US and remains on the Controlled Substance Act list as a schedule I narcotic next to heroin and LSD. It has the confusing distinction of being a “gateway drug” to lesser classified substances like cocaine and meth. Industrial hemp is grown legally in most all other foreign countries and then sold to the US at the rate of over $500 million in imports annually. How hypocritical can our government be? We legally import it from other countries but won’t grow and process it here? How does that make any sense? Revenue that Americans benefit from almost none of it. How one of our creator’s most useful plants ever got blacklisted as a narcotic (with felony consequences) remains a mystery even in a day hi-tech and scientific logic.