The Many Uses of Hemp by Tyler Green

As I revisit my exploration of the versatile and enduring benefits of Hemp, first shared through ISMOKE magazine in 2011-2012, it strikes me how much our understanding and acceptance of cannabis, in its various forms, has evolved. Back then, the articles were delivered piecemeal, in segmented insights. I present this compendium today, uniting those insights into one comprehensive narrative. Over the past decade, the landscape has shifted remarkably – notably with medical cannabis becoming available in the UK in 2018. However, the clarity and relevance of Hemp’s benefits have stood the test of time, remaining evident and undeniable.

Hemp is the most useful raw material on the planet. Its uses are well documented, such as fuel, fibre and paper, amongst many other things. Its use dates back thousands of years, and UKCIA explains that: “Cannabis hemp was widely grown across Britain in the Middle Ages, from at least 800 to 1800 AD, though the amount grown varied widely through the centuries. It was mainly grown for fibre to make sails, ropes, fishing nets and clothes. Old clothes were recycled into paper. Oil was produced from the seeds and was burnt in lamps. It may also have been used as a folk medicine and for food, but it’s a mystery whether or not it was taken as a drug.” (for more, go to UKCIA.org). Also, a mystery is why the hemp industry isn’t bigger in the UK when its use has numerous benefits. Throughout this article, I will outline Hemp’s primary uses and the advantages over currently more popular options for fuel, paper, textiles and other things such as building materials. 

Medical Uses

In the realm of medicine, Hemp, a variant of the Cannabis sativa species, has shown promising therapeutic potentials, distinct from its more psychoactive relative, marijuana. This distinction, primarily based on the levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has paved the way for Hemp’s use in various medical treatments, owing to its rich nutrient content and emerging non-cannabinoid pharmacological effects.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, hempseed pills have been a revelation for functional constipation, offering significant improvements in spontaneous bowel movement. This is but one facet of Hemp’s diverse medical applications, which also extend to aiding in cannabis dependence, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders. Pre-clinical studies have cast a wider net, uncovering Hemp’s potential in combatting a range of conditions through its anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-acne, and antimicrobial activities. Notably, Hemp has also demonstrated renal protective effects and estrogenic properties in vitro, further underscoring its medicinal value.

The efficacy of Hemp in treating multiple sclerosis has been particularly noteworthy. In early-stage models of this debilitating autoimmune disease, hemp-derived CBD and hempseed oil have shown promise in improving clinical disease scores and reducing inflammatory markers, potentially due to CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties and its role in promoting myelin survival.

In the domain of epilepsy, especially refractory epilepsy, hemp-based CBD has emerged as a beacon of hope. Although conclusive evidence is still in the nascent stages, some studies have reported a reduction in seizure occurrences with the use of various hemp oil formulations. This suggests a potential avenue for future research and treatment options.

Additionally, Hemp’s role in promoting skin health cannot be overlooked—a study highlighting a hemp-based ointment showcased improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and scar appearance. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of hempseed extracts, particularly effective against acne, further validate its utility in dermatological care.

In essence, the medical uses of Hemp, backed by historical applications and modern scientific inquiry, reveal a natural resource with a vast spectrum of health benefits. Its gentle approach, coupled with a low psychoactive profile, positions hemp as a versatile and promising player in the medical field.

Fuel & Paper

Hemp for fuel:

Hemp can be used to make easily sustainable fuel, as four cycles of Hemp can be grown in one year. In comparison, we have the currently more popular fossil fuels, which are fast running out. Since man first discovered fossil fuels, we have been on our way to using them. They take a long time to form, making them a finite resource. Since 1900, worldwide consumption of fossil fuels has doubled nearly every 20 years.

When we use fuels such as oil to such a degree that world experts expect us to face a crisis within the next couple of decades, maybe it is time to start producing more vehicles capable of running without its use. An article from the Independent back in 2003 stated that “Research presented this week at the University of Uppsala in Sweden claims that oil supplies will peak soon after 2010, and gas supplies not long afterwards, making the price of petrol and other fuels rocket, with potentially disastrous economic consequences unless people have moved to alternatives to fossil fuels.” Source – Wow, what a prediction. Oil is now more expensive than ever with no signs of decreasing price, a problem with which any motor vehicle driver can empathise. I remember being outraged when petrol hit £1 per litre, yet just a few years later, that would be considered ridiculously cheap by today’s standards. On the other hand, if we all switched to biomass fuel, costs would remain relatively constant, as the source would not be constantly depleting like fossil fuels are. This means that, in theory, you would not have to worry about your car fuel prices going daily.

There is an ongoing debate about the US motives for the war on Iraq, and many believe it has more to do with oil than terrorism. TheDebate.org states that: “There is substantial evidence that America’s interest in Iraq is motivated by oil, not just national security. Is the US government being open and honest about its reasons for declaring war on Iraq? Read the evidence and decide for yourself.” You can read an overwhelming amount of evidence here.

Fossil fuels may be a good source of raw energy, but look at what they cost the human race – dangerous pollution for the planet, rising costs and even war. Oil is favoured for its ease of transportation over gas and extraction over coal. Coal mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and gas pockets are the most difficult to get to. As a result, more of these fuels are left, but I’m sure this will soon change once the oil runs out!

So, how could Hemp help us in this situation? It’s very simple. Hemp4fuel.com states, “The point where the cost of producing energy from fossil fuels exceeds the cost of biomass fuels has been reached… energy from fossil fuels will cost the taxpayer more money than the same amount of energy supplied through biomass conversion.” Two facts that I stumbled across recently also explain the situation quite well:

• Biomass (e.g. Hemp) can be converted to methane, methanol, or gasoline at a cost comparable to petroleum.
• Hemp fuel burns clean. Petroleum causes acid rain due to sulphur pollution.

So these facts, on top of depleting sources of fossil fuels, surely make Hemp a great candidate for fuel of the future. I hope so. It is also worth noting that with fuel sources such as Hemp, as the plant grows, it removes CO2 from the atmosphere, which is then returned to the atmosphere when the fuel is burnt. This is called a closed carbon cycle, meaning that fuel made from Hemp is much less damaging to the environment and could drastically help slow down global warming.

Hemp for Paper

The use of hemp paper dates back a very long time. We know this because hemp paper lasts a very long time. China is documented to have first used hemp paper as far back as 1800 years ago. Unlike paper made from trees, hemp paper resists deterioration. It doesn’t turn yellow, meaning documents from hundreds of years ago can still be seen and in much better condition than their tree-paper counterparts.

Hemphasis.net states, “Making paper from trees is a joke because trees comprise only 30% cellulose. The other 70% of the tree must be removed using toxic chemicals until the cellulose can be formed into paper. The higher the percentage of cellulose in a plant, the better because fewer chemicals need to be used, and less work needs to be done before the paper can be made. Almost any plant in nature with a strong stalk is better suited to make paper than trees, especially Hemp because it can be 85% cellulose” (source).

One acre of Hemp can produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of trees. Trees take years and years to grow, whereas this amount of Hemp can be produced in a single season.    This makes it not only a much less environmentally damaging but also a more efficient paper source than trees.

On top of this, making pulp and paper uses a lot of energy. Hemphasis.net states, “The pulp and paper industry is the fifth largest energy consumer, accounting for 4 per cent of all the world’s energy use.” – (same source as above)

On top of this, the pulp and paper industry also uses more water than any other industry per ton of product. Because of the need to bleach the paper, chemicals such as dioxides and chlorine are released into the water. This isn’t the case for paper made from Hemp, which does not require bleaching and doesn’t produce toxic run-offs that could lead to water pollution.

The facts above make Hemp a clear-cut winner regarding usability and production, as well as the fact that it wouldn’t have anywhere near the negative effects on the environment that the current pulp and paper industry has.

It is also widely known that the paper industry was partly responsible for a smear campaign against Hemp in 1940s America, along with the fuel and pharmaceutical industries. They wanted to replace Hemp with synthetic materials and supply pesticides for an increasing number of cotton fields. Cotton is responsible for 50% of pesticide use in the USA, even though it covers only 1% of farmland. But I will go into that further in part two in the next issue of ISMOKE Magazine.

So there you have it: Hemp is a much more sustainable source of fuel and paper than the global corporations currently favour. The hemp industry can help save the planet!

I will take on Hemp’s advantages for textiles and building materials in the next issue. Be sure to check back in issue 8 of ISMOKE Magazine.

Hemp for Textiles & Building Materials

Now, let’s delve into more uses for this wonderful plant – Hemp for Textiles and Building Materials. Now I know you’re thinking: “Just how can this one plant have any more uses?!” – Well, it does, and many more. These articles are just scratching the surface of what Hemp can be used for. Jack Herer states that “From more than 1,000 years before the time of Christ until 1883 AD, cannabis hemp–indeed, marijuana–was our planet’s largest agricultural crop and most important industry, involving thousands of products and enterprises; producing the overall majority of Earth’s fibre, fabric, lighting oil, paper, incense, and medicines. In addition, it was a primary source of essential food, oil, and protein for humans and animals.” For good reasons, Hemp is a very important part of our history.

I think it’s worth a Wikipedia quote here. It helped my degree, so unlike my lecturers, I trust the source: “Hemp is one of the faster-growing biomasses known, producing up to 25 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year. A normal average yield in large-scale modern agriculture is about 2.5–3.5t/ac (air-dry stem yields of dry, retted stalks per acre at 12% moisture). One tonne of bast fibre and 2–3 tonnes of core material can be decorticated from 3–4 tonnes of good quality, dry retted straw.”

What variety of cannabis is grown for Hemp can also be an important factor. The tall, thin Sativa varieties are most suitable for industrial Hemp, as illustrated in the picture below (also from Wikipedia):

As you can see, Sativa will produce more hemp fibres than Indica or Ruderalis. It is also my choice to smoke, but we’ll leave that for another feature!

Hemp for Textiles

The UKCIA states, “Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) could be an important crop enabling the production of environmentally-friendly, locally produced, high-quality textiles.” Hemp textiles were once part of a booming industry which saw our ancestors using Hemp for textiles, paper, rope and oil. This history dates back a long time, with Hemp being a big part of British culture.

In fact, according to The Emperor Wears No Clothes, “The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of hemp, which began to be worked in the eighth millennium (8,000-7,000 BC).” To put things in perspective, between 8,000 and 7,000 BC, the world population was stable at five million, and pottery was beginning to become widespread. This means that Hemp has been a part of human culture for a long time.

Henry VIII, one of the most famous British monarchs, gives testament to just how important Hemp was half a millennium ago. World Mysteries states, “Hemp was so important in England in the 16th century that King Henry VIII passed a law in 1553 which fined farmers who failed to grow at least one–quarter acre of hemp for every 60 acres of arable land they owned.” The UKCIA elaborates on Hemp’s use in Britain around that time, stating that Hemp was mainly used for ropes, sailcloth and sacking, no doubt due to its great durability. This also made it great for working clothes, meaning many of our ancestors wore hemp clothing throughout this period.

There are many advantages when considering Hemp for the textile industry. Hemp, like linen, contains “bast fibres” in its stem. The machines that process these bast fibres are similar, meaning they could theoretically be used to process Hemp (although the long hemp stalks may need to be broken in half beforehand).

There are many uses for Hemp within the modern textiles industry. The long “bast fibres” are used for twine, geotextiles and paper. The Shorter “tow fibres” can also be used for paper, and the wood-like core/hurds are also high in cellulose and can be used for things like animal bedding. (UKCIA) Hemp is also used to make non-allergenic items like horse bedding and carpet backing, providing safe alternatives to synthetic and potentially allergenic products.

Significant problems result from our ever-growing consumption of cotton and other synthetics. Cotton production is very intensive and requires a lot of pesticides to keep the crop in good shape. OrganicConsumers.org explains that “Cotton uses more than twenty-five per cent of all the insecticides in the world and 12% of all the pesticides. Cotton growers use 25% of all the pesticides used in the US. Yet cotton is farmed on only 3% of the world’s farmland.” – These statistics show the chemicals needed for cotton production. A sad fact I found about cotton on the same website was that “In India, low prices for cotton and high prices for chemicals have caused tens of thousands of farmers to go bankrupt. As a result, there have been more than 

The hemp plant does not require pesticides because it is highly insect-resistant. It also doesn’t require herbicides or fertiliser, growing extremely well under organic conditions. Studies from the late ’60s found that organically grown Hemp has the highest yields and improved fibre fitness – it would certainly be more economically viable. An interesting fact from the UKCIA article worth highlighting was that Hemp grows so fast that it smothers weeds.

 Another advantage of Hemp over cotton is that it doesn’t deplete the soil grown on nutrients. This makes it much more cost-effective to produce and eliminates lots of nasty underground pollution caused by pesticides. viridisluxe.com states, “If Hemp replaced cotton globally, the increased fibre yield would free up an area of farmland the size of Florida. The reduction in toxic pesticides would be 94,080 tons.” So, from this, we can gather that the more Hemp and the less cotton we farm, the better it is for our environment.

I read on Hempcar.org that “Hemp is softer, warmer, more water absorbent, has three times the tensile strength and is many times more durable than cotton.” Hemp is the most durable natural fibre. As well as being UV resistant, it is four times as durable as cotton, meaning that hemp garments will last four times as long as similar cotton garments.

Hemp for Building Materials

Hemp can be used to make a wide variety of building materials, which are much more eco-friendly than popular methods. Hemp-Guide points out its many uses as building materials: “Hemp is a very versatile fibre that can be manufactured into a variety of products that resemble wood including fibreboard, wallboard, roofing tiles, insulation, panelling and bricks can even be made from the compressed hurds. The fibres can also be used like straw in a bale construction paired with mud for an old-style cob building.”

In other words, Hemp is extremely useful to the building industry. Tow fibres from Hemp can be used to make one product – particle board, which may be up to twice as strong as wood particleboard and will hold nails better. The late Jack Herer also stated that “Because one acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fibre pulp as 4.1 acres of trees, hemp is the perfect material to replace trees for pressed board, particle board and concrete construction moulds.”

Another product, Hempcrete, is “half as heavy, seven times stronger and three times more pliable” than concrete”. (Hemp-Guide). Hempcrete is also considered carbon-negative. This is because Hemp absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows,

retaining the carbon and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. Wikipedia states, “165kg of carbon can be theoretically absorbed and locked up by 1m3 of Hempcrete wall over many decades.” Hempcrete’s superiority in strength and flexibility makes it the perfect building material in places on Earth with the possibility of earthquakes. Hemp-Guide states, “Hempcrete is resistant to rot and pesky animals like rodents and insects, fireproof, waterproof, weather resistant and self-insulating.”

Hemp is so fit for this purpose that Archaeologists found a bridge in the south of France from the Merovingian period (c.450-751AD) built using similar methods. Rawganique states, “Iso-chanvre (chanvre is French for hemp), a rediscovered French building material made from hemp hurds mixed with lime, actually petrifies into a mineral state and lasts centuries.”

Making a house out of nearly 100% hemp-based materials is possible. You can make incredibly strong pipes out of Hempcrete. Hemp can also be mixed with lime to create a long-lasting plaster. Hemp paints have also been created, and according to Hemp-Guide, they are “proven to be superior over other paint brands in their effective coating ability as well as durability.”

Of course, at present, building your home out of Hemp will cost a bit more than building it out of traditional materials. But from the facts above, it is clear that hemp products are a viable source of building materials without damaging the environment.

So there you have it – Hemp is great for textiles and building materials. There are so many things that this wonderful plant can be used for and is truly, in some cases, the best candidate for, and I hope we can spread the message so that as many people as possible realise the benefits of Hemp.

Ensure you read the next issue of ISMOKE Magazine for “The Many Uses of Hemp Part 3 – Food, Medicine & Spirituality.”

Hemp for Food, Medicine & Spirituality

Hemp awareness is something that is slowly becoming more apparent in society. Many great people have made it their life’s ambition to educate people about Hemp’s benefits, and it has begun to pay off. When researching for the last article, I read in the Telegraph about a couple in England that are building a house entirely out of hemp products, creating next to no carbon footprint and building a house that will outlast any other house on the street due to the quality of the building products. In this article, I will focus on the uses of Hemp in Food, Medicine and Spirituality.

Hemp Food

Hemp’s uses in food are numerous. According to Wikipedia, Hemp seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, and made into hemp

milk (like soy). It can also be prepared as tea; you can use it in baking, and the leaves can be eaten in fresh salads. Wikipedia also states that hemp “Includes cereals, frozen waffles, hemp tofu, and nut butter.”

The Cannabis Campaigners guide also has some good facts to say. It outlines how easy hemp seed is to produce, stating, “Hemp seed is one of the easiest to produce and nutritious food crops on the earth.”

Hemp was also the staple food crop for a significant part of the world for many centuries. This was because the oils produced from hemp seeds contained the highest amount of essential fatty acids of any plant grown in the world (CC GUIDE).

CC Guide also states that “Hemp seed is the single most complete food on the planet and can be grown quickly almost anywhere, yet the world is allowed to starve as a result of the often total prohibition of cannabis. In recent years, some countries, notably the Maldives, have given life sentences to people with even three seeds, whilst in the Western world, it is readily available for bird food and fishing bait. That alone reveals the real evil behind this senseless banning of foods.” Cases like this show the backwardness of people who prohibit such a benevolent resource on no grounds whatsoever except that a form of the plant can get you high – even when industrial Hemp itself doesn’t contain the psychoactive compounds found in varieties of the cannabis plant which are consumed by millions of people worldwide.

As Hemp is so easy to grow, the cost of food products from a regulated source would be low. This, combined with its ability to grow almost anywhere, would indicate Hemp as a possible solution to hunger in certain countries worldwide.

Another thing worth noting about Hempseed is its allergy-free properties. The Wikipedia page on hemp states that: “Hempseed is usually very safe for those unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose, and sugar. There are no known allergies to hemp foods –

Hempseed contains no gluten and therefore would not trigger symptoms of celiac disease”. Hemp Medicine

Cannabis

OK, we’re leaping here to the psychoactive properties of the cannabis plant. Of course, the varieties here differ greatly from industrial Hemp, which typically has no psychoactive properties. But this is such a massive use for the cannabis plant that it is worth explaining just a few ways how cannabis benefits thousands of people in our country and millions of others around the planet.

The first thing I would like to go into is cannabis use in bipolar patients. ISMOKE published an article entitled “Reefer Cures Madness” by Alice Ayers, a lady who has Bipolar Disorder. In this article, Alice notes how ‘crazy’ her life used to be when she was at university and drinking. She also speaks of dark times when she stopped entirely seeing the point of life. Alice began smoking cannabis and immediately noticed the massive highs and lows suddenly seemed more normalised. Things didn’t send her on a downward spiral anymore, and she began to enjoy life more and more. Replacing alcohol with cannabis was the best thing that she ever did.

Cannabis also has an amazing effect on those who have Multiple Sclerosis. A good friend and ISMOKE featured author, Clark French, knows first-hand how much cannabis can help his condition because he was diagnosed with MS back in 2010. There is a video somewhere on YouTube of Clark’s leg shaking violently and uncontrollably after somebody accidentally knocks into him. He smokes some cannabis, and the shaking slows down, then stops. If that is not a reason to legalise cannabis for sufferers of MS, then I don’t know what is. Cannabis is proven to help the condition, yet currently, only government-approved Sativex is allowed, and even that is almost impossible to get on the NHS for those with anything but the worst symptoms. At the same time, cannabis can be grown in as little as 3-5 months – vast quantities of medicine that can safely alleviate the suffering of thousands of MS sufferers in the UK. It wouldn’t cost the government anywhere near what it costs if they were to treat 100 patients with herbal cannabis for everyone treated with Sativex. And the messed up thing? – People prefer herbal cannabis. Ask any MS sufferer, and they will tell you that it is much more effective at getting rid of their symptoms than any other drug or in any other form.

Another ISMOKE writer, Greg De Hoedt, has Crohn’s disease. Greg does an excellent job of documenting his experiences with cannabis and how it helps him live more of a normal life. He says that before he began using cannabis, the medications that he was on sometimes made him feel worse, and he noticed a change as soon as he got high.

With cannabis, the effective use as a medicine far outweighs the potential risks (which are pretty non-apparent when you consider how safe cannabis is even compared to energy drinks) – and if people choose not to smoke tobacco with their cannabis, they remove the health issues surrounding tobacco use as well, making it a much safer alternative to most prescription medication.

Another good friend of ISMOKE, the late Len Richmond, released a film entitled “What if Cannabis Cures Cancer?” In this documentary, he examines cannabis’ potential for the treatment of cancer and shows examples of people who have cured themselves using cannabis oil. The film shows that in such a potent form, tiny amounts (e.g. one drop, three times a day) can lead to spectacular results – with people claiming to have been cured of their cancer in 3 months of treatment with cannabis oil. This is also well-documented in Rick Simpson’s Run From The Cure (Available on www.ismokeherb.co.uk). There are many testimonials by people who have been cured by the benevolent herb that is cannabis, as well as lots of scientific facts and evidence showing cannabis having a positive effect in the combat of cancer, even as an alternative to chemotherapy.

Hemp Spirituality

Almost everybody who uses cannabis uses it because they enjoy how it makes them feel – and this is the case because our bodies are programmed to respond to cannabinoids, making it the perfect substance to give us a safe “high”. Millions of people in the UK alone use cannabis regularly. People from all walks of life use it to chill out, relax and feel good about themselves.

Cannabis makes your brain work differently, allowing the expanding of thoughts and leading to inspiration, apparent in the music you listen to daily. I work a full-time job and smoke cannabis every evening and at weekends. It’s my hobby – I like getting high, writing ISMOKE Magazine and watching Discovery Channel. Others will use it differently to achieve the same effect – a happy buzz that makes everything seem slightly better.

Some people take the belief of cannabis’ spiritual use very seriously – namely Rastafarians (a form of Christianity originating in Jamaica). This religious movement which embraces cannabis is now recognised worldwide, thanks in part to reggae musicians such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, amongst many others.

Rastafarians believe that cannabis brings them closer to Jah (God), and according to Wikipedia, “They are not surprised that it is illegal, seeing it as a powerful substance that opens people’s minds to the truth — something the Babylon system, they reason, clearly does not want.

They contrast it to alcohol and other drugs, which they feel destroy the mind… They hold that the

smoking of cannabis enjoys Biblical sanction and is an aid to meditation and religious observance.” There are several parts of the bible which Rastafarians believe show God’s justification for ‘herb’:

Genesis 1:11: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.”

Genesis 1:29: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb-bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (taken from Wikipedia).

Further Uses for Hemp

Biodegradable Plastics

Hemp is revolutionising the world of sustainable materials with its ability to produce biodegradable plastics. These hemp-based plastics offer an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, combining the benefits of being stronger and more flexible. As highlighted by GHS Industries, “Hemp-based plastics can be stronger and more flexible than petroleum-based plastics,” representing a significant step forward in reducing plastic pollution.

Animal Bedding

In animal care, hemp shavings are an excellent choice for bedding, particularly for horses. Their high absorbency, natural pest resistance, and odour reduction capabilities make them a superior alternative to traditional bedding materials.

Soil Remediation

Hemp’s remarkable phytoremediation properties allow it to cleanse soils contaminated with heavy metals and other pollutants. Its deep root system and rapid growth enable it to stabilise and improve soil quality, making it a valuable tool in environmental remediation.

Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

In the cosmetics and personal care industry, hemp oil is increasingly popular due to its rich nutrient profile, which includes essential fatty acids and vitamins. These properties make hemp oil beneficial for skin and hair health, finding its way into products like lotions, soaps, and shampoos.

Nutritional Supplements

Hemp seeds and oil are gaining popularity in the world of nutritional supplements. Their richness in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, protein, and other vital nutrients make them attractive for those seeking health-conscious dietary additions.

Livestock Feed

In agriculture, Hemp is a nutritious and sustainable option for livestock feed. It provides a balanced mix of essential fatty acids and protein, offering a wholesome alternative to traditional animal feeds.

Gardening and Landscaping

Hemp fibres are a valuable addition to gardening and landscaping, used in products such as mulches and composts. These fibres are biodegradable and contribute nutrients to the soil, enhancing garden health and productivity.

Art and Craft Materials

In the world of arts and crafts, Hemp demonstrates its versatility. It can be used to make paper, textiles, and even as a canvas for painting, showcasing its adaptability and utility in creative and artistic endeavours.

Conclusion

And so here you can see some of the other uses of Hemp, which, in my opinion, is the most useful substance on the planet. It can be used more than any other plant in a multitude of ways which could help humanity, and it is an injustice that Hemp is not recognised by many as a safe alternative to currently popular methods of production of things like fuel, paper, textiles, building products, food and medicine. I hope that with these articles, I can raise some awareness for Hemp and persuade people that it can be used safely as an alternative to industries currently doing untold amounts of damage to our planet. It also makes people feel good about themselves and has not been responsible for a single direct death throughout recorded history. Free the hemp plant and free cannabis!

As we journey through the myriad uses and benefits of Hemp, it’s vital to acknowledge the broader context of cannabis and its place in our society. The Seed Our Future campaign, a national movement advocating for the reassessment of cannabis laws and regulations, underlines the importance of this dialogue. Through non-violent civil disobedience, this campaign seeks to highlight the often unsubstantiated legal frameworks surrounding cannabis. It reminds us that our collective power can initiate change, challenging unjust laws that hinder access to a plant that could revolutionise our health, ecology, and economy. In the spirit of this movement, let us continue to advocate, educate, and sow the seeds of hope for a future where the full potential of cannabis can be realised. For more information and to join this cause, visit Seed Our Future. Let’s stand together to pursue truth and a sustainable future empowered by our united voice.

Cover Image provided by Releaf via Cannabis Images

Further Reading

• www.ukcia.org/industrial/hemptextilesinbritain.php www.hemp-guide.com/hemp-building-materials.html
• www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm
• www.jackherer.com/thebook
• https://www.organicconsumers.org/clothes/224subsidies.cfm https://viridisluxe.com/hemp.html https://hempcar.org/hempfacts.shtml
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hempcrete
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp
• https://www.ccguide.org/uses.php
• https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000138
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari_movement
• www.clarkfrench.wordpress.com