9 Uses For Hemp The Mainstream Media Won’t Tell You

Although cannabis has become less taboo in recent years, especially after the introduction of CBD-rich oils as a hopeful treatment for cancer, the public has not embraced it significantly. Still, it is a shame because hemp is one of the oldest cultivated plants and the most versatile, which can be used in many functional and economically advantageous ways.

According to some sources, hemp is one plant that can be used to control smog produced by existing fuels, thus replacing nuclear energy with a cleaner one. It even may be one answer to cleaning up soil contaminated by radioactive water and greatly reducing air pollution in industrialized areas.

If hemp production were legalized on an industrial scale, it would eliminate deforestation by replacing conventional paper with hemp paper. The latter has a fantastic maximum of eight cycles of recyclability, compared to three for wood pulp. Moreover, hemp seeds are an extremely nutrient-dense food that can also be consumed by people as well as animals.

Needless to say, the legalization of hemp production on one level (some states) and other levels (including the global one) would bring many benefits. Still, the plant was wrongfully demonized by decades of untruth and propaganda initiated in 1915 by big business and political interests.

It was required to grow hemp in the USA in 1619—according to Drug Warrant, hemp has been demonized in the last century.

Awareness of different applications of hemp and its close cousin, marijuana, to which the former is similar but distinct, may help turn public opinion in favor of legalization. After all, although marijuana has zero fatalities, opioid drugs have more than 100,000 people dying from them every year. Surely, this issue is one that deserves an open mind.

Here are nine unexpected benefits of hemp that the mainstream media is not telling you:

1) Fuel 

Cannabis, like other crops such as corn, presents an opportunity to become a raw source for biofuels—a renewable energy type that could be used for generators, cars, and other future technologies. Extensive research of cannabis-derived fuel has been conducted by the University of Connecticut, and their findings indicate its viability.

As reported by the Cheat Sheet, today, one of the biggest problems with biofuels is that energy yields are often less than the energy costs. Cannabis may be the solution to this urgent issue.

Moreover, an increase in interest in Cannabis production fuels hope for the rise of a Cannabis biofuel industry, which is predicted as a relatively easy task.

As stated by University of Connecticut professor Richard Parnas:
“If someone is already growing hemp, they might be able to produce enough fuel to power their whole farm with the oil from the seeds they produce. The fact that a hemp industry already exists means that a hemp biodiesel industry would need little additional investment.

2) Batteries

According to AlterNet, cannabis could revolutionize energy storage technology. Recent studies show promise in the way of cannabis helping to develop more efficient supercapacitors. Interestingly, researchers discovered that hemp fibers could be developed into nanosheets, as has already been successfully implemented with the previously, more commonly known graphene used in earlier investigations.

One of the primary benefits of hemp is that it is highly cost-effective. The costs surrounding the production of hemp could be many times lower when compared to the production costs of graphene or similar.

As society becomes increasingly accepting of hemp research and development, engineers and scientists will have more space to explore and capitalize on the creative potential.

3) Building Materials

You may be surprised to find out that hemp serves as a basis for many different building products. It is quite possible that hemp will be known as a material of dwellings and offices in the nearest future.

Besides serving as insulation, hemp can be effectively applied for manufacturing engineered products such as pressboard and fiberboard. It can even serve for creating “hempcrete,” which is a modern building material that beats typical concrete in all respects including durability, strength, and being eco-friendly.

4) Livestock Feed

Traditionally, livestock feeds have been primarily based on corn. Nevertheless, the exploration of cannabis-based alternatives is indicating a potentially important shift. There are several convincing advantages to this transformation. Foremost, the opportunity to reduce the cost of feeds dramatically is present. Secondly, and quite possibly more importantly, it might increase the quantity of food at the human level by liberating a considerable number of agricultural resources currently occupied by livestock feeds. Cannabis also exhibits outstanding versatility, thriving in all settings. The natural characteristic of this crop could decrease the extant need for transportation, thus simplifying the supply chain and mitigating the burden associated with logistics.

5) Plastic Production 

Henry Ford, one of the fathers of creating vehicles, spearheaded a prototype car that was constructed in the early 1940s. This innovative vehicle utilized a plant material built from a combination of soybeans and hemp. Ford’s excitingly provocative test of the material’s stellar resilience was immortalized in an iconic photograph, even though the mass manufacture of this hemp-constructed car proved impossible because of the substantial clout of the chemical corporation DuPont. In this iconic photo, Ford can be seen attempting to chop through the resilient hemp-plastic shell of the vehicle with an axe, showcasing the material’s incredible robustness and toughness.

The hemp plastic has been shown to be a robust alternative to contemporary plastics because of its heightened recyclability and significantly faster decomposition timeframe. This plastic replacement could substitute a myriad of daily use products such as food wrapping paper, shower curtain linings, CD and DVD containers, and soda bottles.

6) Food & Beverages

A close association has been formed with the word “superfood” to the tiny nutritional powerhouses known as hemp seeds. Approximately one-third of their weight belongs to hemp oil, which is a useful ingredient with both safe dietary uses and potent nutritional value. This incredible source of total fatty acids can supply more Omega-3 fatty acids than walnuts. These healthy fats are necessary to combat the inflammation that the body experiences. The overall hemp seed is additionally a high-protein food—about 25% of its content—in addition to being an adequate supply of iron and calcium for the diet.

When it comes to using hemp seeds in the kitchen, this is a relatively easy and joyful task to do. Its primary purpose is to add flavor and nutrition to a wide range of foods. For instance, hemp seeds can be lightly dusted on top of a fresh salad to increase the nutritional value and taste of a dish. Alternatively, they can be implemented in a variety of dessert dishes to provide a distinct texture and nutty flavor. Lastly, hemp seeds are an excellent plant-based milk alternative. All you have to do is swap it out for almonds in your favorite homemade milk dish to receive a nutritious and delicious drink.

7) Nuclear Waste 

Hemp constitutes an attractive resource used to improve soil contamination. Hemp was introduced as a natural way to “clean up” contaminated places when the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine occurred in the early 1990s. According to TreeHugger.com, the plant is very promising for cleaning up land that has been contaminated by fly ash, sewage sludge, and heavy metals. Its low growth cycle and the plant’s ability to spontaneously draw toxins from the dirt helps to explain such efficiency.

8) Paper

It is astonishing that hemp paper was the norm two millennia ago. The reason for that is that this crop now makes up only 0.05% of the world’s paper industry.

The potential environmental benefits of people’s switch to hemp instead of trees are immense because it is a far more eco-friendly source of pulp than wood.

9) Clothing

While hemp fabric has been used since at least 7,000 to 8,000 B.C., the use of hemp in contemporary times is relatively limited. This could be because many people believe hemp clothing to be rough and rigid. Nevertheless, due to modern farming techniques, even the exclusive fashion industry is exploring the potential of hemp, as evidenced by delicate lingerie made from hemp and silk. Obviously, the durability of hemp could effectively be applied to more classic uses such as sportswear and outdoor clothing.