Why The Hemp Industry Is Our Future
5:57:00 AM
Knowledge on hemp in general is very rare. Oftentimes, people will automatically associate hemp products with marijuana in conversation. Not that hemp has nothing at all to do with marijuana, it's just that hemp products do not contain the female blossom, nor any THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) (cite here- marijuana diff from hemp). Hemp has become seen more and more in stores today, and many think this is an entirely new industry. The history of the hemp industry is surprisingly rich though, and much more dense than you would expect. Hemp was booming at the formation of our country, and even historical figures like George Washington were known to make use of it.
Hemp is making a comeback. There's no denying this fact. There are so many advantages to getting involved in this industry, and I believe that many more people will as they become aware of how profitable and sustainable it is. Hemp can be grown anywhere. There are no geographical restrictions, and, with the right care, this crop can be cultivated anywhere. It's annual value is hundreds of millions of dollars at this point, and will continue to advance. Hemp harvest and processing requires little human labor, and can be produced in an extremely short amount of time. This product can reduce the number of imports necessary for many countries, and further advance the local economy; this one plant can produce around 30,000 products, from textiles like linen to paper.
Speaking of paper, the relationship between traditional paper and hemp is something to note. Being that hemp has always been more efficient in terms of space and time required for production, there's always been an undiscussed competition with the paper industry. The degree to which this competition played a role in marijuana becoming illegal is heavily debated, but still something to consider. There were obviously a lot of factors involved in how marijuana reached it's illegal status, from propaganda to widespread association with violence/gangs, but there are many who posit that William Randolph Hearst's company (selling tree pulp paper) took changed public views, sculpting the general belief that marijuana (as well as hemp) was to be associated with evil.
Today's culture is growing more and more accepting of both cannabis and marijuana use, allowing for reinstatement of hemp's previous popularity. We'll be seeing more and more hemp products in the coming years, hopefully. It's an integral part of moving forward and creating a sustainable future.
Tiffany Amber
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2 comments
Absolutely amazing the amount of resources that can come from a plant. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! Thank you!
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