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History of Hemp
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Industrial hemp has been grown in the U.S. since the first European settlers arrived in early 1600s. In 1619, it was illegal NOT to grow hemp in Jamestown, Virginia. Massachusetts and Connecticut had similar laws. In the 1700’s, subsidies and bounties were granted in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and other New England states in order to encourage hemp cultivation and manufacturing of cordage and canvas (the word “canvas” is rooted in “cannabis”). George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all grew hemp and actively advocated for commercial hemp production. Benjamin Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper, and Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. Some historians say that the first American Flag in 1776 was made from hemp because no other fiber was strong enough to withstand the salty air on naval ships. For over 200 years in colonial America, hemp was currency that one could use to pay their taxes! Hemp was a staple crop of American agriculture, reflected in town names like “Hempfield” and “Hempstead.”
Viewing hemp as a threat, a smear campaign against hemp was started by competing industries. At the same time as these campaigns, cotton’s popularity increased, so did the improvisations of the inventions and machinery relating to cotton. The hemp’s machinery lagged and stunted the growth of America’s hemp industry. The smear campaigns must have worked, because during the 1930’s hemp was lumped under the umbrella of “marihuana” in the Marihuana Tax Act (how they spelled it then). The law was aimed at regulating the narcotic varieties of cannabis, but due to being lumped together, the hemp industry was effectively regulated out of existence.
However, during World War II, the government needed hemp for the war. So, the USDA’s Hemp for Victory campaign was used to convince farmers to embrace hemp again. Hemp was needed for fiber for the war effort so much so that the USDA even produced brochures and an educational video for further encouragement to the growers.
About Hemp
The Hemp Plant
Hemp is part of the cannabis family that includes all varieties that contain negligible amounts of THC, the chemical in “marijuana” which is psychoactive and gets you “high.”
The 2018 Farm Bill officially defines hemp as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”
The Cannabis family contains numerous varieties, yet it is most famously known for psychoactive cannabis (marijuana or “weed”). This is the main reason why people confuse the term hemp with marijuana. Hemp actually refers to the industrial variant which is cultivated for its fiber, hurd, and seeds, as well as the other natural healing compounds found in its leaves.
Uses of Hemp
THE SEEDS
The seed is mainly used in dietary products. Hemp seeds are typically hulled and use in variety of ways. Seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, made into milk, and are even used to make protein powder.
Hemp seeds can also be pressed and made into oil. Hemp seed oil can be used as salad dressing, paint, ink, and is a core ingredient in many body care products
Canada is the biggest producer of hemp seeds with over 84,000 acres licensed for cultivation in 2015. Most of the hemp strains grown in Canada are called Finola. Finola is known for producing the most amount of seeds, but they are very short so can’t be used for their stalk. Over time, more farmers are experimenting with dual use varities which can be used for both seeds and stalks.
THE BAST (FIBER)
When you slice a hemp stalk in half, you’ll see, nestled in a snug hollow tube, a long, string-like band running the length inside. This is hemp’s famous bast fiber. When harvested correctly, the fiber is actually stronger than steel. The stalk and its fiber are used mainly in clothing, construction materials, paper, and more.
Historically, so many different applications have been found for hemp’s stalk. In a 1938 Popular Mechanics article, hemp was stated to be the next ‘billion dollar crop’, as it praised its bafflingly strong fibers. The magazine found there to be more than 25,000 industrial uses for hemp. Applications of hemp stalk include apparel, bags, rope, netting, canvas, and carpet.
China is the world’s biggest producer of hemp stalks, with the government claiming the hemp industry to be over $200M.
THE SHIV (HURD)
Often referred to as the woody core, hemp hurd is the soft inner core of the hemp plant stem. It is highly absorbent and rich in cellulose and great thermal and acoustic properties. The hurd can be used in two different forms:
- As untreated and unrefined chunks, it can be used in a wide variety of industrial and everyday products, such as cement, insulation and paper.
- As a form of pulp, it can be used to make biodegradable plastics that can be easily broken down and recycled.
Out of its many applications, hemp concrete (hempcrete) has been gaining a lot of attention globally as a natural substitute to concrete. More houses in Europe and Canada are starting to be built in hempcrete due to its strong insulation, windproof, and low carbon footprint properties.
In addition to hempcrete, hemp hurds are used for animal bedding, biodegradable garden mulch, paper, plastics, and insulation.
Hemp Bioplastics
LEGO Goes To Hemp Plastic By 2030 (The Kids Are Going Green)
LEGO wants to change the material it uses to make its branded toy bricks loved by children around the world. The company is currently using a plastic resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), but by 2030, it wants to use a more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective material, according to a report from Plastics News. And this material is hemp plastic. That’s right the kids are going green.
Hemp is in fact an ideal base material for the manufacture of plastic because of its high cellulose content, which varies between 70 and 80% that’s according to Hemp Plastics.
A company named Zeoform has been working for several years on the advancement of biodegradable hemp technologies. Today, the company claims a new type of very robust plastic made entirely from hemp.
The material can be injected or blow moulded in countless products ranging from buttons to straws, home furniture, Frisbees. And even toy building blocks.
The material is non-toxic, biodegradable and can produce commercial and a range of industrial grade materials. There’s an aptly named US company called Hemp Plastic which has released a hemp-based ABS plastic which meets the FDA standards for food, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products.
And there’s even a company called Just Bio Fiber which is making LEGO inspired, hemp-based bricks for a home on Vancouver Island. Companies are beginning to realize the efficiency of growing hemp, as well as the durability of the plant itself.