Hemp is often known for its medicinal properties for use in CBD, but it can also be used in many other things. Today I will guide you through the many other ways people use hemp.
Food and Beverages
Hemp seeds and hemp oils have been shown to be highly nutritious, and an excellent source of protein, minerals and fibre. Because of this, many people use it to make things like hemp milk and hemp cheese substitutes, as well as protien powder substitutes. This has been found to give you the essential amino acids and nutrients required. Many people get this from fish, but hemp oil is used by people concerned about overfishing, as well as vegetarians.
Hemp is also good for animals, with many vets recommending it for pets and livestock. Many fishermen in Europe use hemp seeds on water as an effective bait. Birds have shown to prefer hemp seeds over normal birdseed when given the option.
Body Care
Hemp is also an effective ingredient in lotions and creams. CBD creams specifically are some of the most popular CBD products, with their healing abilities when used on the skin.
Hemp has become a popular ingredient in many lotions, as well as many other hair, skin and cosmetic products. It is a better alternative to the toxic chemicals in many petroleum based lotions and cosmetics.
Paper
Hemp has been shown to be an ideal material for making paper. Unlike traditional paper, where trees used can take over 30 years to become harvestable again, hemp plants only take a few months to grow, meaning that using hemp for paper can save the world's forests.
Hemp paper has been used for thousands of years to make paper, since it makes a quality paper that is acid free and does not disintegrate like conventional paper.
Fabric, Rope and Textiles
Hemp is also used to make a variety of fabrics, being similar to but more durable than cotton. It is also used to make rugs and other textiles. The word canvas, meaning a woven cloth used for clothing, actually comes from the Latin for hemp.
The oldest known woven fabric was made of hemp, and there is an urban legend that both the first Levi jeans and the first American flag was made of hemp. It was a common material before the cotton industry grew in America.
Hemp is also the traditional material used to make rope fibres, due to its flexibility, strength and water damage resistance. In the past, hemp has been used for ropes, nets and sails for fishers and the Navy.
Fuel
Hemp has been used in lamp oil for centuries before people started using petroleum in the 1870's. To this day, hemp oil is used to create biofuels, which can replace the gasoline in diesel engines. Unlike fossil fuels, these are renewable and produce less of the carbon monoxide.
Plastic Alternatives
Recently, there have been many things in the news regarding plastic being bad for the environment, with plastic bags and plastic straws both having new legal restrictions on them.
In 1941, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford cars, unveiled a car made of hemp plastics, and running on hemp oils. The car was shown to be effective, weighing 1000lb less than a regular car, and able to withstand an axe. Unfortunately, the car was never put into mass production, so steel cars and normal plastics continued to be used.
However, currently, the number of products made from hemp plastic is on the increase as awareness of the plastic alternative grows.
Building Materials
Hemp has shown to be an effective building material, able to replace wood and concrete. One company, Hempcrete, uses hemp mixed with a lime binder to make a natural, airtight insulation material bringing an effective thermal performance.
These hemp materials are lightweight, waterproof, fireproof, self insulating and resistant to pests, making them the perfect alternative.
While there are many great uses for hemp, they aren't all regularly used. This is due to legislations against hemp, with people believing it is similar to marijuana, though hemp has only trace amounts of THC. Hopefully soon hemp will be a widely used resource for many things. For now, have a nice day!
