August 2, 2007

Rebirth of hemp, the plant with a myriad uses

In recent years there has been a marked increase of interest in industrial applications of hemp, due in large part to growing environmental consciousness. Two thousand six represents a year in which farming of hemp sharply increased, making it one of the most profitable crops in Canada for that year. Across the border, where marijuana continues to be vilified by the federal government, an increasing number of states are passing laws that make it much easier to grow hemp.

New technologies are appearing that have the potential to reduce the currently high and uncompetitive cost of producing paper from hemp, giving hope to a truly meaningful decline in the destruction of our shrinking forests. Also noteworthy is the use of hemp for fiber-based plastics which can be injection molded. The demand for products of this type will no doubt grow as the price of oil, needed in the production of conventional plastics, rises.

Hemp, from the old English haenep, is actually the common name for cannabis, though it often refers only to that used for industrial applications, rather then medicinal or recreational (drug) purposes. It has an extensive history of use in numerous countries around the world. While other source materials were later found to be better suited to applications for which hemp had been originally used, hemp is still highly applicable in the above mentioned production of paper, and also textiles, foods, and many other goods. One of the reasons for the versatility of hemp its impressive set of useful properties, which include durability, strength, rapid growth, and resistance to disease, mould, and ultraviolet light. Also, due to the fact that it will grow on soil low in nutrients, it requires little fertiliser, and can thrive in places in which other plants cannot.

The properties of Hemp make it an ideal source material for the production of paper which is durable and long lasting, and fiber-board of high strength. Hemp-based fiber-board is up to 3 times as strong as that produced from wood, and is a good material for applications such as furnishing. In order to be transformed into a form suitable for paper production, the source material must be broken down into a cellulose pulp. This requires the application of a variety of chemical compounds, many of which are toxic. In the case of wood, which has a relatively low cellulose content, a significant amount of these compounds - over 2000 have been identified - is required to transform it into paper. Hemp, on the other hand, has a much higher content of cellulose, allowing for the elimination of chlorine during processing, and a substantial (up to 75%) reduction in the use of sulfur-based acid (or soda ash if utilized instead). In order to satisfy the high demand for paper products around the world, the Canadian pulp and paper industry consumes about 90 million mª of wood annually. While the majority of this is softwood, and there has been some increase in the use of reject lumber and wood residue from sawmills, some consumption of hardwood (a very wasteful practice) means that paper production contributes to the destruction of old-growth forest. Hemp plants, owing to the rapid rate at which they can be grown and their undemanding nutrient needs, offer a highly sustainable alternative for the pulp and paper industry that will allow a decline in the encroaching destruction of forests.

Whether in the form of seeds or oil, hemp is a good source of nutrition. It has found application in products such as milk tea, cereal, waffles, whole grain flour, protein powder, non-dairy milk and ice cream, granola bars, veggie burgers, salad dressings, and coffee. Hemp seed, as well as the oil derived from it, is provides protein, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin D and B. It is composed of 20% complete protein with a near-complete balance of essential amino acids. Apart from meat and dairy products, which contain a complete balance of essential amino acids, the only comparatively more complete source of protein is soy, though its value has been questioned by some. The remaining 80% of a hemp seed is composed of essential fatty acids, which are not produced by the body but needed by it. The fatty acids are mostly polyunsaturated, which are especially good for the body, as well as monounsaturated. Also present are both omega-3, found largely in fish, and omega-6, which is commonly found in meat. This represents a better balance of fatty acids than flax, the continuous consumption of which may lead to a possible deficiency/imbalance of the fats. In addition, hemp plants provide a yield of fiber per area that is 6 times as great. The good balance of both amino and fatty acids found in hemp, whether in seed or oil form, makes it a good source of nutrition for vegetarians and vegans.

Due to its ability to grow in places where other plants cannot, hemp is in some cases the preferred or only source of nutrition. In Nepal, the indigenous peoples living in the mountainous regions, where the high elevation and dryness of the environment are inappropriate for the cultivation of rice, sustain themselves on hemp seeds.

Hemp oil can also be used to make a wide variety of non-nutritional products, including ethanol fuel, non-toxic paints, and body care products such as lotions, bath balms, shampoo, massage oil, lip balms, and cosmetics.

Hemp is a good source material for making textiles of high durability. The word canvas, in fact, originates from the word cannabis. As well, the original jeans were made from hemp. One of problems of the cotton-based textile industry is its high dependence on pesticides, at all stages of production. Growing hemp for textile, on the other hand, because of better resistance to disease, does not require as great an application of pesticides. Another advantage is that hemp plants have a yield per area of fiber that is about 2.5 times as high as cotton. Hemp fiber is weaved or knit into many products, such as carpeting, sacking, and clothing. The fibers can be formed into thread that resembles the thread of cotton or silk. For some purposes, textiles are also created from hemp blended with fabrics, such as cotton, silk, or linen. In Germany, where the farming of hemp has been legal since 1996, the hemp-based textile industry has made significant advances in the production of clothing and various other (100% hemp-based) textiles.

Apart from the applications of hemp already mentioned, others include: as a source fiber in the manufacture of automobile interior panels, and as an alternative to steel rebar for strengthening cement. Undoubtably, with its numerous positive characteristics, the list of applications for hemp will continue to grow in the future.