The Top 5 Reasons Why We Should Grow Hemp

While there are several reasons for legalizing Cannabis, hemp, which comes from the same plant genus as marijuana, definitely has the most tangible benefits. Besides, the strains of marijuana used in industrial and consumer products contain such a small level of the intoxicating substance, the two shouldn't be classified under the same category.

Hemp as paper: Hemp won't just save trees, but paper made from Hemp is stronger and more durable. According to Ecomall

The hemp plant, like cotton, produces cellulose fibers that are much more pure than fibers derived from wood...Many of the early documents printed on hemp paper hundreds, or even one thousand years ago, are still in existence.

Hemp as a fuel: Hemp is more sustainable and burns cleaner than any other fuel. More importantly, though, EcoMall says:

The same high cellulose level that makes hemp ideal for paper also makes it perfect for ethanol fuel production. Ethanol is the cleanest-burning liquid bio-alternative to gasoline. In one test, an unleaded gasoline automobile engine produced a thick, black carbon residue in its exhaust, while the tailpipe of a modified ethanol engine tested for the same 3,500 miles remained pristine and residue-free.

Also, when hemp as a biodiesel combusts it releases water vapor and CO2 which is absorbed by plants.

Hemp to renew soil: For one, hemp grows in abundance. But more importantly, when plants grow they deplete the soil of some natural vital nutrients, hemp however revitalizes the soil.

Hemp actually revitalizes the soil it grows in, both by aerating the soil and through the deposit of carbon dioxide in to it. This makes hemp ideal for crop rotation, and the crop that follows in the soil hemp grew in will develop better than if hemp had not been used.

Hemp as a fiber: Hemp is one of the strongest plant fibers. The venerable fiber is extremely resistant and rugged and has been used bu sailors to hold ships and sails. In fact, Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag from hemp.

Hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax using the same amount of land.

Hemp as food and care: Hemp seeds can be eaten or used as edible oil and provide an incredible source for protein. It can also be grown where other plants won't because it is so durable. The oil can also be used for hair and skin care and detergent.

Comments

[GodYesOrNo]

Weren't two of the American presidents Hemp farmers?
GodYesOrNo.com

[FunkyP]

Early American colonists were required to grow hemp for export back to England.
Jefferson and Washington grew it. Some diary entry by Washington suggests he may have dabbled with the THC producing strain ;>)

[oli33]

Great article. Couldn't agree more.

[FormerReaganite]

Isn't ordinary rope made from hemp?

≠

[SamKnause]

Yes some ropes are made from hemp. During WW ll the government legalized hemp and had promos at the movies to promote growing it for the war effort. They were used on Navy ships.

[fumes]

no..

only the best rope!

[BLBass]

Distancing hemp from marijuana is all well-and-good. It would greatly assist our national discussion over legalization if ancillary issues were considered separately.

1. Industrial hemp operations plainly don't deserve to be treated as drug factories. The first step in common sense reform is to reschedule the plant so that pro-industry arguments are separate from pro-ingestion arguments.

2. Medicinal use is also different from recreational use. I think the public tide has pretty much turned on this question, and if the questions were treated separately we could reach a pro-medicinal marijuana consensus pretty rapidly.

Both of these goals could be reached by a fairly simple compromise: pro-legalization forces would relinquish these arguments in favor of their goal, while drug-warriors would accept these obvious distinctions and structure policy rationally. It is worth noting that this would basically necessitate rescheduling Cannabis, thus leading naturally to a later debate on legalization for recreational use. That said, I think those of us in favor of legalization should be willing to have that debate separately and on its own merits. This multi-step process may be the best way we have to move forward on this issue rather than keeping it locked up like a scrum between bad rugby teams that can't move the ball.

[jdmn17]

Given the people who seem to think we will all start smoking weed if we legalize the growing of hemp, a sister crop, then perhaps we should ban poppies lest we all start grafting and growing opium in our flower gardens. Lord knows what will happen when we become a nation of poppy growers - where's the outrage from the wingnuts about poppies?

[1sparrow]

sorry i can't see. sorry- i can;t keep uphyper photo sensitive-- i am photo sensitive because of drugs from the government --- blind as usual-- if they could

[1sparrow]

all the legal drugs cloud my contact lenses....­. and they wil saay well why did you not do somthing about that? i wa s trying to do this rthing

[1sparrow]

who is ami cholia ..? you must connect me with the amy /... egad it is a police state.... tiger wood can do good stuff. but no body can do anything.-­- eggsackley-- what a bitchen dude....it just too hard to spell.

[Paul Baack]

There was a time in American history when it was illegal NOT to grow hemp. It was considered to be that strategically important a resource.

(Historical tidbit -- the first American flags were made from sail cloth, which was manufactured with hemp.)

[Nicon]

That time did not end till 1945.

HEMP for VICTORY!

Good Enough to fight a world war

[FunkyP]

Another historical fact, (disputed by the national archives person who responded to my question) is the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
The archivist said the original was written on vellum.
Anybody know the real deal?

[TruthmongerII]

Hemp seed is highly nutritious and can be used in food, including the making of ale. Hemp clothing is available & I've found it resists body odors and outwears cotton or synthetic fibers. I've nothing against flax, but it's telling that the U.S. is the only country in the world that prohibits the growing of non-psychoactive hemp.

But of course it's the only country in the world that also restricts health care to the wealthy, and engages in perpetual war, and is run by bribe-taking carpetbaggers.

[jemborg]

I'm an Aussie and as fond of pot as I am research has shown in my country that what you write is unfortunately not 100% accurate.

Flax is actually a much better environmentally sound substitute for most of the things that you mention.

Really sorry, I am all for legalising or at least decriminalising personal use of hemp. For it's medicinal qualities too. Personal possession is only a small fine in my state btw- so I know it doesn't cause the downfall of society.

[Iccarus]

Thanks jemborg. I lost my house and all my savings and got a 5 year sentence for growing some during the 1st Bush administration. I did this because our government was spraying chemicals (paraquat) on crops in South America, aparently not caring that it could still be harvested and then consumed in the US. I thought that would be the best way to keep our dollars here in the US too...and look how they thanked me. I almost wanted to kill myself but survived and am doing well.

Thanks again for keeping it real!

[fumes]

thanks for not flying into the sun!

[jemborg]

Good on you Iccarus. What a waste of public funds too.

[kobio]

I think this article is trying to distance hemp from marijuana. This seems to be a difficult task as everyone continues to argue against hemp with arguments against marijuana. Hemp has very little THC the chemical that gets people high. This will prove to be an uphill battle, but one that needs to be faught.
The crop Hemp grows quickly and can be much more productive than traditional crops such as cotton and particularly, lumber. I suspect the only thing keeping hemp from being mainstream is Lobbyist for the lumber and cotton industries.

[jemborg]

I realise that and perhaps I should have said marijuana in my last paragraph.

However, there was a great deal of interest in growing non-intoxicating hemp in Australia a few years back and the subsequent CSIRO research into its commercial cropping found that flax (and even bamboo) was even more productive and environmentally friendly. I was very pro myself until I saw the report.

I am NOT against it but I am more for flax and it's products.

[NevaforLeadership]

Keep puffing.

Only pot smokers get so wrapped up in hemp.

And a few years from now, when you find yourself in a dead-end, pot-sodden life, you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

I know a few pot smokers -- daily pot smokers. Without exception, their impaired judgement has led them to untold life miseries.

[Nicon]

I know plenty of daily drinkers that are far worse off than the daily smokers i know.

Marijuana does not Kill, does not have the power to kill, and in no way, shape or form is worth the 70 Billion Dollars a year in prohibition.

yah, people who do nothing but sit around all day smoking pot have issues, but if you take the pot away from them, they Still have issues.

Prohibition never works,

Yes we Cannabis!

[Iccarus]

The fact that you think you can base your opinion on " I know a few pot smokers", shows true genius.

[jemborg]

Tsk, I'm almost 50 and my life has not been better thanks lol. I am my own boss in a thriving IT business.

I only have a smoke occasionally, NOTHING is good for you if you do it all the time.

PS: I don't drink booze.

[washlib]

haha, then you either have a very limited number of friends, or your friends in general are not of the highest caliber.

I know many creative and highly intelligence folks who partake of the sacred Herb, and they are all doing quite well thankyou.

It's unfortunate that so many laws are written and supported by such ignorance. A real pity.

[Badbone]

The rebuttals to these points are almost too easy

Hemp as paper: The world is using less paper than ever. And paper mills are using more recyclables than ever. Tree usage is down. Hemp just isn’t needed here.

Hemp as a fuel: Algae is a better product for this. Hemp is better than corn for biofuels, but some strains of algae are 50 times better than even that.

Hemp to renew soil: Clover is many, many times better than hemp to renew the soil. Even simple crop rotation is just as good. In other words, hemp didn’t renew the soil, just switching to another product did. They could have used soybeans and achieved the same result.

Hemp as a fiber: Hemp produces more “fiber” than cotton; but pound for pound contains the same amount of usable material. In other words, it’s a wash. Totally even. No benefit.

Hemp as food and care: LOL. Yes, one thing America needs is more food products.

Look, everybody knows this is just a stealth attempt at full legalization of marijuana. A foot in the door. You aren’t fooling anyone.

[JacqueItch]

"Look, everybody knows this is just a stealth attempt at full legalization of marijuana. A foot in the door. You aren’t fooling anyone".

That is a strange conclusion, and I think a wrong conclusion.

You completely ignored the benefits afforded by the hemp plant which was grown and used for many years in America until thoughtlessly banned.
Hemp could be a valuable crop ---- it has a sinewy fibrous strength almost unsurpassed in the plant kingdom, and doubtless other applications would be found for it.

It's not about drugs---it's about using plants with beneficial usefulness.

[Khirad]

Look, everybody knows this is just a stealth attempt at full legalization of marijuana. A foot in the door. You aren’t fooling anyone.

--

And?

[Khirad]

Hemp as paper: The world is using less paper than ever. And paper mills are using more recyclables than ever. Tree usage is down. Hemp just isn’t needed here.

--

Are you for real? What would it hurt, seriously, in lieu of trees? Are you like paid by Weyerhaeuser or just from the religious right?

[Iccarus]

Also the world is using more paper not less. I don't know where he came up with that one.

[Paradym]

Your rebuttals are strewn with fallacies and not based on any research or evidence.

Even if paper use was down (it's not), wouldn't it behoove us to use hemp instead of trees for the paper products that we cannot get from recyclables?

Hemp is much easier to produce than algae in the volumes needed to support fuel needs. And the apparatus is already there, as opposed to the "potential" of algae now.

How do you compare clover and hemp? What products from clover could replace hemp products? Hemp does not deplete the soil, as opposed to corn and cotton. You can grow multiple crops of hemp each year, year after year, in the same acreage. Also fewer to no need for pesticides and herbicides. Big bonus there.

Hemp produces more fiber per acre than cotton. The fiber is stronger and lasts much longer than cotton. And again, much better for the soil than cotton (see above). So not a "wash".

Hemp is a much healthier source of food. It's one of the best sources of protein and omega fatty acids. Hemp could reduce the need for corn, a harmful crop to our health and soil.

So, you named some possible contenders for the things hemp can do, but you failed to get that the one crop - hemp - does it all without needing an algae infrastructure, the whole clove nonsense, and sticking with trees, cotton, corn, soybeans, etc. One crop does it all. FTW.

[BLBass]

I'm ready to have that debate on legalization, as long as you're willing to accept the premise that industrial hemp and medicinal marijuana -- separate from recreational use -- are both reasonable policy suggestions that deserve debate without anti-drug demagoguery. In fact, I'm willing to wait until both are successful to have the legalization debate, as long as there's no stalling from the moral/business interests that have stood lockstep in opposition for so long because of the specter of drug use. There is no reason that an honest and open debate can't enact both initiatives within 4-6 years. The continued harm to our nation from criminalizing cannabis use during that time will be on the drug-warriors' heads if they can't get their act in gear.

[BLBass]

nothing?

I meant it when I said I'm ready to debate the point. Or are you just trying to jab at the "silly druggies" who want to legalize pot?

[kenafexpert]

It is not Hemp- try Kenaf that is the plant you should be targeting for.
you can google for it or just go to www.kenafibers.com.

[BLBass]

Interesting. It actually seems to bear much similarity with hemp in its growth, judging from those pictures. I see no reason for advocating kenaf use to conflict with advocating hemp as a competitor. The only reason to make a statement of exclusivity would be a financial interest, which I confess you appear to exhibit. That said, kenaf does appear to be a valuable resource and I look forward to learning more about it and its commercial applications. Just don't treat us as dupes.

[BLBass]

for those who want to know

Google tells me that kenaf is similar to jute, it is a hibiscus so it flowers quite beautifully, and it grows rapidly. All nice things about it. I also found that "among 500 plants" considered for treeless newsprint production, kenaf was found to be the best fit in a US government study. I have to wonder whether hemp was compared fairly in that study, but it does seem like a strong competitor. Emphatically not a replacement, however.

[ChrisOKC]

The demonization of hemp was started by the paper industry. Namely William Randolph Hearst. He owned hundreds of acres of timber forests and a vast number of paper mills designed to manufacture paper from wood pulp. In the early 1930s, his paper industry was threatened by hemp, which: 1) like wood pulp, could also be used to manufacture paper, and 2) also had an advantage over wood pulp, because it could be regrown yearly. Between 1936 and 1937, Hearst associated marijuana with hemp in his newspapers.

[Valle]

Some one mentioned the tobacco and alcohol industries were partly to blame for the lack of legalization of Pot. Actually, the Philip Morris company owns the rights to the first marijuana cigarettes. They know when it becomes legal, there will be a rush to button up the field, as it were, and already they are strategically placed.
Legalization will kill the economy here in Humboldt county where so many of us depend on the underground industry to make a living. Just saying....­.

[ChrisOKC]

How would it kill the economy in your area? And, could you site your source of how Philip Morris "owns the rights" to the first marijuana cigarettes? I would venture to guess (yes guess), if marijuana were to be made legal (which this article doesn't address), anyone wanting to grow and sell marijuana would be able to do so. They might have to register with the FDA or something, but there wouldn't be a monopoly on pot. If i wanted to start a tobacco growing business, I could. If i wanted to start distilling whiskey and sell it, I could.

[Nicon]

3. things.

1, legalization would turn your part of the US in to an economic giant. Living in grow central you have to know that while marijuana might be easy to grow, world class marijuana is not.

2. Tobacco and alcohol companies are the main funding behind "The partnership for a drug free America". Hardly pro legalization.

3. the only people i know currently legally producing producing and shipping marijuana cigarettes around the country is the US government. Part of a national medical marijuana program that Bush 1 shut down to appear soft on drugs because Aids sufferers were about to be able to sign up for it.

[BLBass]

Humboldt would have to readjust its local economy, and it might well turn out the worse for the quality-of-life residents expected when they moved there. I plan to look into your point about PM, and it would be a shame if they made CA a client state like NC and the other tobacco producers. That said, it would be beneficial for at least 3 reasons.

1 Economic development. Having an industrial center might ruin the beauty of such a unique place, but it will help draw residents and make living there easier. The scale of a hemp industry could be much wider than the underground economy of pot currently allows, compensating for the attendant drop in profitability.

2 Environmental considerations. Because of the black market status of pot, much of the outdoor growth (including in Humboldt Co.) is undertaken by criminal gangs on secretly appropriated plots of government land. Moving that farming out of public lands would be a benefit both environmentally and for the intended users of our parks, the recreational hikers who go for an unspoiled landscape. Moving the farming into commercial plots, subject to environmental regulations, would further decrease the bad environmental practices of fertilizing, spraying, etc. For those willing to pay a premium, indoor/outdoor aquaculture and hydroponics would still provide a lower-environmental impact way to grow hemp profitably.

[BLBass]

I really wish they would raise the word-limit to at least 300!

3 Less economic drain on the state budget. CA is basically screwed. You know that. One big step away from that cliff would be to reduce the state's expenditures on prisons and law enforcement, a large proportion of which are currently taken up by the drug war. That's not to say prosecution of gangs or large dealers should stop, but by stopping the flow of marijuana convictions (especially for simple possession/use) much more money would become available for struggling counties and municipalities.