Last week, I blogged about industrial hemp and how it was legal to import, but illegal for American farmers to grow because it is in the cannabis family, which also includes marijuana. I thought I’d list a few facts about hemp that I discovered at the Hemp Industries Association web page:
– It is believed that the oldest hemp fabric found dates back to 8,000 BC. Two of our former presidents, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson actually grew hemp.
– It hasn’t always been illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. In fact, during World War II, the government subsidized farmers to grow hemp.
– While it can take a tree up to 20 years to grow to maturity, hemp matures in about 4 months. Hemp also provides more pulp per acre than timber and during manufacturing; it can reduce wastewater contamination because of its low lignin content, which requires less acids for pulping. Hemp paper doesn’t turn yellow as it ages and can be recycled more than wood-based paper.
– When comparing the fibers of hemp and cotton, hemp is more absorbent, stronger, and more isolative.
I also mentioned in my blog that the U.S. is the only industrialized country that doesn’t allow farmers to grow hemp. Let’s take a look at some of the countries that do:
– China is the largest exporter of hemp, which they call “ma.”
– In Germany, car manufacturers Mercedes and BMW are using hemp fiber to make door panels and dashboards.
– Great Britain removed the ban on hemp in 1993. It has since been used in the paper and textiles industry.
– In Japan, hemp seed is often used in making traditional spice mixes.
– The researchers in The Netherlands are working on a new strain of hemp that is has even less THC than the norm.
– In Poland, hemp (called konopij) has been used to clean soils that have been contaminated by heavy metals.