What is Hemp? A Basic Guide to a Plant That Could Change the World!
Hemp; the magical plant that could potentially save the plant. But what is hemp? Essentially, it is a variety of the Cannabis Sativa plant. This Sativa species can produce a wide range of products in an ethical way! Hemp, just like bamboo, is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. It also needs very little water to grow, making it an exceptionally sustainable plant. Hemp is among the oldest industries in history! The hemp industry goes as far back as more than 10,000 years and birthed the beginnings of pottery. Did you know that hemp fabrics came first, as well? The fabric industry began with hemp, dating back to roughly 8,000 BC. Although many of us are familiar with hemp, few of us actually know how far back its usage goes. It only makes sense that we still use it today!
Let’s indulge in some hemp facts and applications, shall we? Who doesn’t like a little bit of green knowledge? We will go beyond the simple question ‘‘what is hemp?’’ and understand the importance of this particular plant.
The Hemp Plant: The Basics
In ancient cultures, plants were seen as medicine from Mother Earth. Many modern-day societies have steered away from that narrative. However, with Veganism, Herbalism, and eco-living trending across the globe, western cultures are beginning to return to their roots and relearn the importance of plants. This may be one of the best things to come out of online trends!
As stated above, the hemp plant is a species of Cannabis Sativa. The name ‘Cannabis Sativa’ may suggest that hemp hosts psychoactive effects. However, a big difference between Cannabis Sativa and other Cannabis species is that it is not psychoactive. This means hemp will not get you high. It is missing the psychoactive cannabinoid, THC! Despite hemp having such a long history of serving humans and the planet, there have been periods where the hemp plant was prohibited. We have come a long way since then and hemp is now legal in most parts of the world.
The hemp plant has countless uses and applications. To give you an idea of what this plant is capable of, here is a short list of a few of the products hemp can produce:
- Food & Drink
- Clothing/Shoes
- Fuel
- Paper
- Medicine
- Plastic-like Materials
- Hair & Skin Products
- Candles
- Hemp Extracts & Oils
- Vape Juice
- String & Ropes
- Batteries
Are you catching my drift here? You can literally build a house out of hemp if you wanted to! Keep in mind, hemp can produce all of these products in a 100% sustainable way! Although hemp can be used as a sustainable alternative to many products we use today, it can also be used as an effective medicine via hemp extracts. Let’s move onto how you can improve your mental and physical health with the hemp plant!
The Strong Link Between Hemp & Health: Usages and Applications
Hemp can do so much for the planet; but did you know it has a lot to offer you and your health, as well? Hemp has so many applications, and we are learning more and more about the different hemp oil uses as time goes on! There is a surprising amount of benefits that hemp has to offer. Before going into the benefits, it is important to know the difference between ‘hemp oil’ and ‘hemp seed oil’. Hemp oil is a common term used for what is also known as CBD oil, which can be used as a treatment or aid to mental and physical disease. Hemp seed oil is the oil that comes from hemp seeds and is primarily used to make products such as paints, inks, fuels, plastics, etc. Hemp seed oil is also often used in the production of shampoos, soaps, and so much more.
Before moving on, we will also briefly go over what CBD is. Essentially, CBD is one of over 100 different cannabinoids found in the Cannabis and hemp plant. This is a non-psychoactive compound, meaning it will not get you high. Humans host over 800 cannabinoid receptors across our bodies. We have an entire internal system designed to receive cannabinoids! This system makes CBD a great aid for medical complications across the entire body. It also has many benefits for the brain! Let’s look at different hemp oils and hemp oil uses.
Before moving on, we will also briefly go over what CBD is. Essentially, CBD is one of over 100 different cannabinoids found in the Cannabis and hemp plant. This is a non-psychoactive compound, meaning it will not get you high. Humans host over 800 cannabinoid receptors across our bodies. We have an entire internal system designed to receive cannabinoids! This system makes CBD a great aid for medical complications across the entire body. It also has many benefits for the brain! Let’s look at different hemp oils and hemp oil uses.
Hemp Oil vs CBD Oil
The extracts needed to make CBD oil comes from leaves, stalks, and hemp flower. Hemp seed oil on the other hand comes from-you guessed it…Hemp seeds! These seeds do not contain CBD. This is a major difference between the two oils. One of them hosts CBD, A.K.A. cannabidiol, while the other does not. Both oils do not contain THC either.
Hemp seed oil of any kind offers high quantities of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids. This in itself has a heap of benefits, even when applied in various ways. Nowadays you can purchase hemp seed oil as an olive oil alternative for cooking. Hemp seed oil holds so much potential and can produce so many helpful products!
Hemp oil, or CBD oil, is primarily used to promote health in the mind and body. CBD oil can offer a wide range of health benefits. Here is a short list of a few of the most common benefits individuals reap from using CBD:
- Improved Sleep
- Decreased Stress
- Pain Relief
- Increased Brain Function(s)
- Lifted Mood
- Decreased Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD
- Fights Against Addiction
Why is Hemp so Good For The Planet?
There are many things that make hemp so sustainable, but did you know it could very well be in the top 3 most sustainable plants in the world? To narrow it down, we would like to go over 5 facts that make hemp a great alternative.
- Hemp is good for soil
As the plant grows, its leaves fall to the ground and decompose, replenishing the soil. The leaves and stems of hemp are jam-packed with nutrients that help regenerate the soil. Many crops suck nutrients out of soil, while hemp actually leaves soil richer in nutrients after each harvest. It would be good practice for a farmer to plant hemp between crops to not only prevent damage to the soil but to reverse soil damage as well. Not to mention hemp also fights against pesticides, prevents soil erosion, and absorbs toxic metals!
- Hemp sucks C02 out of the air
Hemp is known as one of nature’s most effective air purifiers. Hemp has been scientifically proven to clean the air more than trees can, and more sustainably, as well! Many of us are familiar with the dangerously high C02 levels in our atmosphere. Crazy hemp fact: for every 1 ton of hemp produced 1.63 tons of C02 is sucked out of the air!
- Hemp is zero-waste
Hemp is a zero-waste plant, meaning every since part of the plant can be used and put to good use! Considering the wapping 25,000+ products that hemp can produce, it makes sense nothing from the plant goes to waste! Overproduction and the waste that follows such production is extremely damaging to our planet. So many industries result in tons of waste annually, but not the hemp industry!
- Hemp fights against deforestation
Devastating reports from scientists across the globe state that within 100 years, there will be no rainforest left. However, with hemp, there may be hope. Trees can take many years to mature, especially if planted as a seed. On the other hand, hemp can fully mature in just four months! Technically speaking, hemp could replace trees as a more effective air purifier and source for raw materials such as paper. Hemp could quite literally save the planet. You know the saying ”save the planet, plant a tree”? We should be updating it by saying ‘save the planet, plant some hemp’ instead!
- Hemp needs very little water and grows fast
Unlike many crops, hemp needs very little water and time to thrive. One of the main factors to consider when gifting a crop the ‘sustainable’ label is how much water resources are used during each harvest. This can explain one of the differences between regular cotton and hemp cotton. Traditional cotton uses over 3 times as much water as hemp cotton. The water footprint of a crop is something to consider when looking at the ethics of a product. Organic hemp uses more water than non-organic hemp farms, however, it is still barely comparable to other alternatives and still manages to use very little water. Hemp isn’t a very thirsty plant, yet it can offer us an abundance of benefits and products! Additionally, hemp also grows at an extremely fast rate! Many of us know that bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, but did you know that hemp is a close second? This adds additional sustainability to the growth process!
Growing hemp promotes sustainable farming. This means when you purchase any hemp products, you are supporting sustainable farming. Whatever trees can do, hemp can do, only better!
Final Thoughts:
When all is said and done, I am sure we can all agree that hemp is the future. It can improve the economy and offer affordable sustainability in so many different industries. Hemp can also offer the mind, body, and soul effective healing in a natural way. You can incorporate hemp into your daily life no matter what kind of lifestyle you lead. In doing so, you will be helping the planet in return. If we want to save the world via hemp we need to act fast! The first and most important step is educating yourself and spreading the word.
If you made it to the end of this page, Sacred Spores would like to thank you for playing your part in the hemp movement! We encourage the growth and sale of hemp and hemp products. Nature truly gives us all we could ever need. It is time to give back to her, and hemp may be the best way we could do that.
If you decide to take a step further as a member of the hemp community, we are sending you ALL the love as you return to your roots with the sacred help of Mother Gia.
