Hemp uses

From clothing, to food, to fuel, to a whole host of consumer and building products, not to mention helping in cleaning up soil pollution, it's only slightly hyperbole to call hemp a wonder crop: photo: Janet via flickr. Clothing Hemp's been used for textiles since time immemorial--samples of hemp fabric in China date back to 8, BC--though it has certainly had a renaissance of late. Shedding the slightly rough and tough image it once had hemp has broken into the realms of high fashion , has been mixed with silk for lingerie , as well as being applied to more obvious applications where it's durability is used to best advantage: Providing material for shoes , jeans , and other tough sport clothing. But hemp also can be put to good use in iced tea and brewed into beer, fermented into wine, and distilled into other alcoholic beverages.

Four Basic Uses

Hemp , Cannabis sativa , also called industrial hemp , plant of the family Cannabaceae cultivated for its fibre bast fibre or its edible seeds. Hemp is sometimes confused with the cannabis plants that serve as sources of the drug marijuana and the drug preparation hashish.

Although all three products—hemp, marijuana, and hashish—contain tetrahydrocannabinol THC , a compound that produces psychoactive effects in humans, the variety of cannabis cultivated for hemp has only small amounts of THC relative to that grown for the production of marijuana or hashish.

The hemp plant is a stout, aromatic, erect annual herb. The slender canelike stalks are hollow except at the tip and base. The leaves are compound with palmate shape, and the flowers are small and greenish yellow.

Seed-producing flowers form elongate, spikelike clusters growing on the pistillate, or female, plants. Pollen-producing flowers form many-branched clusters on staminate, or male, plants. Hemp originated in Central Asia.

Hemp cultivation for fibre was recorded in China as early as bce and was practiced in the Mediterranean countries of Europe early in the Christian era, spreading throughout the rest of Europe during the Middle Ages. It was planted in Chile in the s and a century later in North America. Hemp is grown in temperate zones as an annual cultivated from seed and can reach a height of up to 5 metres 16 feet.

Crops grow best in sandy loam with good drainage and require average monthly rainfall of at least 65 mm 2. Crops cultivated for fibre are densely sowed and produce plants averaging 2—3 metres 6—10 feet tall with almost no branching. Plants grown for oilseed are planted farther apart and are shorter and many-branched. In fibre production, maximum yield and quality are obtained by harvesting soon after the plants reach maturity, indicated by the full blossoms and freely shedding pollen of the male plants.

Although sometimes pulled up by hand, plants are more often cut off about 2. Fibres are obtained by subjecting the stalks to a series of operations—including retting , drying, and crushing—and a shaking process that completes separation from the woody portion, releasing the long, fairly straight fibre, or line. The fibre strands, usually over 1. The fibre, longer and less flexible than flax , is usually yellowish, greenish, or a dark brown or gray and, because it is not easily bleached to sufficiently light shades, is rarely dyed.

It is strong and durable and is used for cordage —e. In Italy some hemp receives special processing, producing whitish colour and attractive lustre, and is used to make fabric similar to linen. Hemp fibre is also used to make bioplastics that can be recyclable and biodegradable, depending on the formulation. The edible seeds contain about 30 percent oil and are a source of protein , fibre , and magnesium.

Shelled hemp seeds, sometimes called hemp hearts, are sold as a health food and may be eaten raw; they are commonly sprinkled on salads or blended with fruit smoothies. Hemp seed milk is used as an alternative to dairy milk in drinks and recipes. The oil obtained from hemp seed can be used to make paints, varnishes, soaps, and edible oil with a low smoke point.

Article Media. Info Print Print. Table Of Contents. Submit Feedback. Thank you for your feedback. Introduction Physical description Cultivation and processing Products and uses Other hemps. Hemp plant. See Article History. Alternative Titles: Cannabis sativa, Indian hemp, industrial hemp. Read More on This Topic. Probably the most widespread plant having psychedelic properties and used in cults is Indian hemp, Cannabis sativa, which grows all….

Get exclusive access to content from our First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today. Learn More in these related Britannica articles: drug cult: Hemp, mushrooms, cacti, and their derivatives. Probably the most widespread plant having psychedelic properties and used in cults is Indian hemp, Cannabis sativa , which grows all over the world except in very cold climates.

It is used in religious practices in India and Africa and…. Flax, hemp, jute, and kenaf are characterized by a high proportion of long, flexible bast fibres that are readily separated and purified from the other materials in the plant. Consequently, such fibres have long been used for textiles and rope making. Most of this fibre reaching…. Hemp , one of the most ancient plants domesticated in India, is an example of a multipurpose plant: oil is obtained from its seeds, fibres from its stalk, and the narcotic hashish from its flowers and leaves.

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Hemp seed oil can be used to produce non-toxic diesel fuel, paint, varnish, detergent, ink and lubricating oil. Because hemp seeds account for up to half the weight. It contains less than % THC by dry weight. Industrial hemp has become famed lately for its use in creating CBD hemp oil. But this isn't the only.

Hemp , Cannabis sativa , also called industrial hemp , plant of the family Cannabaceae cultivated for its fibre bast fibre or its edible seeds. Hemp is sometimes confused with the cannabis plants that serve as sources of the drug marijuana and the drug preparation hashish. Although all three products—hemp, marijuana, and hashish—contain tetrahydrocannabinol THC , a compound that produces psychoactive effects in humans, the variety of cannabis cultivated for hemp has only small amounts of THC relative to that grown for the production of marijuana or hashish.

They are from the same plant — Cannabis sativa L.

Hemp , or industrial hemp , is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. Although cannabis as a drug and industrial hemp both derive from the species Cannabis sativa and contain the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol THC , they are distinct strains with unique phytochemical compositions and uses. Some governments regulate the concentration of THC and permit only hemp that is bred with an especially low THC content.

General Hemp Information

With the passage of the Farm Bill, which allows hemp cultivation and distribution across state lines, hemp is suddenly all the rage. Lost in the conversation is how versatile the plant is. Despite making up less than 1 percent of all textile products, hemp is a good source of fabric. Hemp fabric is anti-microbial, has a high tensile strength, breathes better than cotton, and gets softer with ages. Hemp has also been shown to be environmentally friendly. In order to grow enough cotton to make just one T-shirt, you would need gallons of water.

Hemp Uses and Benefits

Your shopping cart is currently empty. If you would like to make a purchase today, add items to your shopping cart. Search Term. Advanced Search. On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. Hemp fiber is stronger and softer than cotton, lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew. Cotton grows only in moderate climates and requires more water than hemp; but hemp is frost tolerant, requires only moderate amounts of water, and grows in all 50 states. Hemp requires no pesticides, no herbicides, and only moderate amounts of fertilizer. On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2 to 4 acres of trees. From tissue paper to cardboard, all types of paper products can be produced from hemp.

Thanks to recent legalizations around the world, more and more people are beginning to become interested in the world of marihuana , specifically in hemp uses and its benefits. Hemp is one of the most beneficial and handy plants to ever have grown on this earth, as it can be used to obtain important materials and medicines.

Hemp is a plant with many uses. The numerous possibilities that hemp offers are quite well known to this day, and yet it has been a prohibited plant for a significant period of time.

Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America*

For thousands of years, humans have used parts of the hemp plant for food, textiles, paper, fabric, and fuel oil. Today, modern processing technologies have made it possible to create alternatives to gasoline, plastic, and other petroleum products that can help the human race lessen its reliance on polluting and expensive fossil fuels. The hemp plant is a renewable resource that can be produced domestically. It grows quickly, naturally resists plant diseases, requires little weeding, thrives in most climates, and enriches the soil it grows in. Here are some of its most important applications: Food and Nutrition Hempseeds and hemp oil are highly nutritious and delicious. Hempseeds are an excellent source of protein, minerals, and dietary fibre. 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, behaviour, 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 is also good for animals , and some veterinarians recommend including it in the diets of pets and livestock. In Europe, fishermen sprinkle hempseed on the water as an effective bait.

5 Other Uses for Hemp You May Not Know About

Index Search Home Table of Contents. Cannabaceae , although the term has been applied to dozens of species representing at least 22 genera, often prominent fiber crops. The common names hemp and marijuana much less frequently spelled marihuana have been applied loosely to all three forms, although historically hemp has been used primarily for the fiber cultigen and its fiber preparations, and marijuana for the drug cultigen and its drug preparations. Probably indigenous to temperate Asia, C. Hemp was harvested by the Chinese years ago Schultes and Hofmann For most of its history, C. Hemp is one of the oldest sources of textile fiber, with extant remains of hempen cloth trailing back 6 millennia. Hemp grown for fiber was introduced to western Asia and Egypt, and subsequently to Europe somewhere between and BCE.