Hemp Myth or Hemp Truth, how much do you know about this crop?
We've heard a bunch of fictional stories about Hemp from people all over the world, so this article comes in order to set the record straight.
Ready to be blown away?
Hemp Myths
1. Hemp Myth: It can get you high
As funny as this might sound, some people actually believe that to be true! The psychoactive compound in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana plants average 10-20% THC, sometimes more. Hemp, on the other hand, can contain no more than .3% THC by law, making a possible "hemp consumer" to not even feel the slightest buzz.
It’s true that some people smoke hemp flower in the same way that you can smoke marijuana flower. But the purpose is most often to consume the CBD and other compounds, not to get high.
2. Hemp Myth: Hemp and Marijuana are basically the same plant
This is a major source of confusion! To make that more clear, think of this:The Wolf is called "Canis lupus" and the Dog is called "Canis lupus familiaris"Although the two look and smell alike, they are structurally and chemically different.
Hemp and Marijuana come from the same species of plant (Cannabis sativa), but they’re very different. When cannabis contains significant amounts of THC and is psychoactive, it’s characterized as marijuana. If the plant has only trace amounts of THC and is non-psychoactive, it’s classified as hemp: same species, different plant.
By law, a cannabis plant is considered industrial hemp if it contains .3% THC or less. Hemp plants have been selectively bred for centuries for so many properties and for their potential in producing various items. Marijuana plants, on the other hand, are still bred primarily for their psychoactive potential.
3. Hemp Myth: Hemp is illegal
Much of the confusion about hemp’s legality comes from the confusion regarding the plant itself. While hemp and marijuana are both varieties of the same cannabis plant, they are not the same, but people associate Hemp and Marijuana in their mind as being the same thing, so if Marijuana is illegal in most parts of the world, Hemp must be illegal too.
4. Hemp Myth: Hemp fields are used to grow Marijuana "undercover"
Hemp is grown quite differently from marijuana. Moreover, it is harvested at a different time than marijuana. Finally, cross-pollination between hemp plants and marijuana plants would significantly reduce the potency of the marijuana plant.
5. Hemp Myth: Hemp foods can cause you to fail drug test
Hemp foods don’t contain any more THC than the plants they come from, so it is impossible to fail a drug test from ingesting them, even in large quantities. Hemp is a superfood that will provide your body with all the essential omegas necessary for a healthy diet. Eat all you want!
Keep in mind that there are other food products that can make you fail a drug test. For example, eating too many poppy seeds can make you fail a test for opiates!
6. Hemp Myth: Hemp is only good for making rope
Although the value of hemp fiber has been recognized for centuries, other parts of the plant have become valuable in the modern era: seeds, core, and flowers. Today, many thousands of uses for the plant are well known, and what was once seen as plant waste is now seen as valuable commodities.
De IONESCU proved you wrong on that!
Hemp Truths
1. Hemp Truth: Hemp has thousands of uses
Hemp is one of the most versatile crops out there. Presumably, the hemp plant can be used in as many as 25,000 products.The hemp plant can be broken down into two major parts: hemp flower and industrial hemp. Hemp flower refers, of course, to the buds of the mature hemp plant - the part that has CBD. Industrial hemp refers to the stalks, seeds, and fibers of the hemp plant, which can be used in the creation of a wide range of products, including textiles, construction materials, and even biofuels.
2. Hemp Truth: Hemp is more durable than other materials
Hemp fiber is one of the most durable natural textile fibers available. For instance, when compared with cotton, hemp lasts significantly longer while also resisting molds and mildews. Coupled with its quick maturity and soil reinforcing properties, it is a great choice of crop for the textile industry.
3. Hemp Truth: Hemp enriches the soil where it is grown
Unlike some crops, hemp cultivation can serve to enrich the soil where it is grown. Not only do hemp’s roots penetrate deep into the earth, aerating the soil and preventing erosion, the plant also helps encourage nutrient uptake by other plants that will be grown on that same land in the future.
4. Hemp Truth: Hemp is ideal for outdoor clothing
Hemp has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties and hemp doesn’t retain odour-causing bacteria like synthetic or cotton fibres does; its hollow shafts make it super absorbent and an excellent choice for outdoor activities.
5. Hemp Truth: Hemp can produce up to 4 times as much paper as trees can
Hemp plants are rich in cellulose which is why hemp plastics make a fantastic alternative to carbon positive single use synthetic materials. And the same can be said for paper too! Trees are made up of 30% cellulose (of which toxic chemicals are required to extract the substance needed to produce paper) vs Hemp which has up to 85% natural cellulose! This cellulose is transformed into pulp, with hemp pulp naturally being a much higher quality than wood and as such, produces stronger and better quality paper. One other cool fact is that Hemp is much quicker than trees to produce the same amount of fibres needed for paper – it takes 20 – 80 years to grow trees ready for producing paper vs 4 months for hemp! And because hemp regenerates the soil it grows in, as soon as it’s harvested it’s ready to grow again, vs trees which will take years for the soil to replenish all the vitamins it needs to grow a new harvest successfully.
Also for producing paper, one acre of hemp can produce as much paper as 4 – 10 acres of trees over a 20 year period.
6. Hemp Truth: Hemp was originally used to make Canvas
Although most Canvas nowadays is made from a cotton/linen and synthetic fabric blend, it was initially made using Hemp!
It was used in the creation of sails, marquees, tents backpacks and even the first artists canvas were made using hemp! It was used for innumerable purposes for hundreds of years due to its versatility and ease to cultivate, until its decline in the mid 30s- 40s.
Wanna know something really cool?
The word “canvas” is derived from the word “cannabis”.
It is an old English word taken from an even older Northern French Canevas based on the Latin word Cannabis which originated in ancient Greece!
7. Hemp Truth: What about a Hemp Car?
Whaaat? Yes, really!
It all started in 1941, when Henry Ford owned a car made of soybean hemp and plastics.
It was lighter than steel, but it was durable, withstanding ten times the impacts that a metal car would and without a single dent! However due to its undesirable relationship to Marijuana, as well as other variables we’ll look at in the future, this exciting venture was repressed.
Nowadays, Hemp plastic has begun to be integrated into the automobile industry again. In 2008 Lotus launched their eco friendly sports car, featuring lush Hemp fabric on the steering wheel and hard compressed hemp making up the seats. And because hemp plastics are 100% biodegradable, this is great news for the car industry!
So we know a car can be made of hemp, but can it run on it too? Absolutely!
Hemp Seed Oil can be converted into a biodegradable and toxic-free biodiesel, an incredible eco-friendly equivalent to fossil fuel guzzling counterparts.
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