The Hemp Plant

Hemp is a word for Cannabis sativa L. Marijuana comes from the same plant genus, but so does broccoli. The industrial hemp used in industry contains only a negligible level of the intoxicating substance THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient found in hashish and marijuana. So, we can say that industrial hemp is not marijuana.

Hemp use dates back from Stone Age, over 10,000 years ago. Hemp fiber imprints found in pottery shards in China and Taiwan proves this fact. The ancient Asians also used hemp to make shoes, clothes, rope and an early form of paper.

Industrial hemp is the most useful plant in nature. It is very nutritious, so it can be used as food: it can be eaten as whole or ground into flour for baking. Hemp can also be used to produce paper, due to its high cellulose level. Furthermore, it can be used as fuel because it is perfect for ethanol fuel production, which is alternative to gasoline.

Every industrialized country in the world, except the United States, produces industrial hemp. Europe’s biggest producer is France, but there are other important ones too like: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Great Britain, Russia or Spain. Pro-hemp laws are being passed around the United States in states like Kentucky, Vermont or North Dakota. Farmers don’t need a DEA approval anymore to grow industrial hemp, which is now distinguished from marijuana. Due to these laws, hemp advocates foresee a bright future for the industrial hemp.