Industrial Hemp: The Most Useful Crop?

Industrial hemp is both the crop of the past and the crop of the future. It has been cultivated for nearly 12,000 years for various purposes, yet has come under intense governmental criticism in the past fifty years over its scant relationship to THC-producing marijuana. Perhaps after you read what this plant can be used for, you will be just as outraged as I am that it has reached near-criminal status to grow in the United States and elsewhere.

Industrial hemp contains stringy, tough fibers in its outer layer which are the strongest natural fibers in the world. These fibers, like the fibers of cotton can be woven into cloth and textiles. However, hemp fibers are much longer and tougher than cotton fibers and have a natural resistance to mildew and bacteria. Clothing made from hemp fibers can also block ultraviolet rays from the sun more effectively than clothing made from other materials such as cotton or polyester. A misconception about hemp fiber is that since it is more durable, it can only be used to make coarse materials and uncomfortable clothing. This is untrue. Hemp fiber can be used to make everything from rope and water-resistant tarps to clothing material as soft as linen.

About seventy percent of the hemp plant is the hard, woody interior known as the hurd. This material can be used for a wide variety of purposes. The hurd has a high cellulose composition which makes it a prime candidate for use in paper and plastic products. An acre of hemp hurds can be used to make enough paper as four acres of trees. Paper made from hemp also lasts longer than tree paper and does not require bleaching from poisonous agents such as dioxins. Plastics made from hemp are much more environmentally friendly since they are biodegradable. You may ask yourself whether or not this would affect the integrity of the plastic. Well, how often do you need to reuse the plastic packaging of a slice of cheese or package of meat? That plastic would be better of broken down into microscopic units than festering in a landfill for hundreds of years, unchanged. The hurds can even be used in building construction. If the hurd is crushed and mixed with lime, it creates a lightweight, yet durable plaster or cement which is both waterproof and fireproof. In terms of more immediate uses that don't require refining, hurds can be made into super-absorbent chips and shavings for both gardens and animal bedding.

Hemp seeds produce oil just like soybeans and sunflower seeds. Each seed contains 30% oil and can be used in many different applications. First and foremost the oil can be used in foods and cooking, containing the highest percentage of cholesterol-fighting fatty acids of any seed in the world. In terms of industrial uses, the oil can form an effective base in paints and varnishes which dry quickly. Hemp seed oil can even be used in automobiles. The oil provides an effective engine and part lubricant and if combined with 15% methanol, the hempseed oil provides a viable alternative to diesel fuel. This hemp fuel gives off seventy percent fewer emissions than petroleum-based fuels and puts no particulates into the atmosphere. The seeds can also be consumed as a food product, similar to how corn or wheat can be mashed into flour. Each seed is 25% protein, and hemp seed flour contains levels of protein comparable if not higher than wheat flour.

In terms of how it grows, hemp is a very economic crop for farmers to grow. It can be grown in all fifty states and its root culture is different from many other farm crops. The roots penetrate deep into the ground and thus work to loosen the soil and provide aeration for subsequent crops. Furthermore, industrial hemp is quite resistant to crop diseases and few insects feed on it. Since hemp can be grown so closely packed, the need for herbicides would be minimal as a result of the inability of weeds to get adequate sunlight and nutrients between the hemp plants. A full hemp crop also only takes ninety days to grow, so more crops could be planted during the growing season. Higher yields mean higher profits. The fact that nearly every part of the industrial hemp plant can be used in an economic sector of some kind, the value of crops would be enormous. Estimates put the value of one acre of hemp at nearly twice that of an acre of cotton and four times the value of an acre of corn. The ability to grow more than one crop in a growing season adds to this figure in favor of industrial hemp.

Given the fact that hemp can be used for so many different useful purposes, it is a travesty that the United States government continues to lump it irresponsibly into the same category as psychoactive marijuana. The US has a huge agricultural potential, and embracing industrial hemp would be a step in the right direction for resurgence of American agriculture and industry.