What comes to mind when you hear the word “hemp”? For most people, it conjures up thoughts of baking up a batch of special brownies and getting baked. For others, it makes them think of the scratchy hemp clothes worn by hippies and commune members.
In reality, neither of these common assumptions about hemp are correct. While the hemp plant shares common traits with the marijuana plant, all you’ll get from a batch of hemp-laced brownies is an extra dose of fatty acids and protein. As for hemp clothing, since making its way onto runways in 2019, it’s now the height of fashion, and extremely comfortable.
So, what more don’t we know about hemp? Keep reading to learn all about the secrets of this unique and fascinating plant.
1. Hemp Helps With Pain (But Won’t Get You High)
Wondering, “what is hemp if it’s not marijuana?” You’re not alone. People often confuse the two because they both come from the same plant species, Cannabis sativa. (xanax.online) They also share the same pungent smell and pointy leaves.
The difference comes in the amount of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) they contain. While US-grown industrial hemp must contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, marijuana on the streets today contains as much as 42 times that amount.
But, even though hemp won’t get you high, there are many hemp benefits to enjoy. What hemp does contain is the powerful healing substance, cannabidiol oil (CBD). CBD comes from the flower of the hemp plant and offers pain relief for headaches, arthritis, and inflammation. Recent research also shows that CBD can help reduce severe forms of childhood epilepsy, while many people claim that it has helped them with everything from cancer pain to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
2. You Can Make Almost Anything From Hemp
Humans have been spinning hemp into fiber for around 50,000 years. But as well as its long history, it’s also one of the most versatile materials around, used to make everything from paper and rope to paint and plastics.
Manufacturers often blend hemp bast fibers with cotton, silk, flax, or polyester to make woven fabrics for clothing and furnishings. The woodier inner fibers are better suited for use in the making of animal bedding, litter, and mulch. The seeds are often used in bird feed mix or made into hemp oil. And, you can use hemp oil for cooking but manufacturers also use it to make oil-based paints, moisturizing creams, and 100-percent biodegradable plastic.
As if all those hemp products weren’t impressive enough, hemp is popular as a home-building material since hemp walls are pest-free, rot-free, mold-free, and fire-resistant. You can even have a car made from hemp and power it with hemp fuel. In 1941, Henry Ford showed off a car made from hemp, as well as plastics, and soybeans. The car was lighter than steel and managed to withstand 10 times the impact without denting. And, while there are more efficient alternatives, hemp seed biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic.
3. The USA Was Founded on Hemp
Now you know that hemp can be turned into anything, including paper, what do think the US Constitution might have been written on? That’s right, hemp paper!
America’s first president, George Washington, grew hemp plants in his free time for use in making paper, rope, and clothes. And Thomas Jefferson, who also cultivated hemp, is quoted as saying, “Hemp is of the first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country.” In fact, colonial farmers in the 1700s were required to grow hemp to support this vision.
4. Hemp Enriches and Cleanses the Soil
Hemp crops, which you can click here to read more about, are easy to grow in all kinds of different soils and terrains thanks to the hemp plant’s deep roots.
As it grows, hemp holds the soil together and boosts its microbial content. After harvesting, many farmers put any unused stems and leaves back into the soil as they’re so high in nutrients. This helps rejuvenate the soil and results in an even better yield the following year.
Hemp can even eliminate toxins and radioactive material from the environment, as scientists discovered when they planted hemp in Chernobyl. They discovered that hemp conducted phytoremediation and removed chemicals found in the soil better than any other plants they tried.
5. Hemp Seeds Are One of the Most Nutrient-Dense Foods Around
Hemp seeds boast an impressive nutrient profile. They pack in a wealth of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They also contain almost as much protein as soybeans, as well as vitamin E, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and zinc.
Hemp seeds contain an oil rich in gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is also found in human breast milk. In fact, hemp seed oil contains all the essential amino acids, as well as arginine, a precursor for the production of nitric oxide (NO). NO plays a vital role in the cardiovascular system, contributing to important functions such as blood pressure regulation.
Impress Your Friends With These Facts About Hemp
Hemp is a unique plant full of all kinds of secrets and surprises that most of us are completely unaware of.
Even if you’ve used CBD derived from hemp plant flowers, cook with hemp oil, or own hemp products, you might not have realized how many hemp benefits and uses there are out there.
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