HEMP
Hemp (from Old English hænep) is a commonly used term for high-growing varieties of the Cannabis
plant and its products, which include fiber, oil, and seed. Hemp is
refined into products such as hemp seed foods, hemp oil, wax, resin,
rope, cloth, pulp, paper, and fuel.
|
|
|
|
|
Hemp belongs to the genus Cannabis Sativa and has been cultivated for thousands of years as a source of fiber, edible seeds, edible oil, lubricant, and as a fuel.
Although hemp and cannabis are closely related, the industrial hemp plant (botanical name Cannabis Sativa L.), is just one variety of many Cannabis strains (1). Hemp Seeds Hemp Seeds are a gift of nature. They are the most nutritious seed in the world. They have the most concentrated balance of proteins, essential fats, vitamins and enzymes combined with a relative absence of sugar,starches and saturated fats. Hemp Seeds are one of nature's perfect foods - a super food. This is one of the most potent foods available, supporting optimal health and well being, for life. Raw hemp provides a broad spectrum of health benefits, including: weight loss, increased and sustained energy, rapid recovery from disease or injury, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure, reduced inflammation, improvement in circulation and immune system as well as natural blood sugar control. They are climbing the superfood sales charts elsewhere and claims of their health benefits are spreading, but in Australia hemp seeds remain under a cloud. It is one of the few countries in the world where a question mark hangs over their legality. Despite no evidence that consumers can get high from the cannabis plant derivative, there are bans in place. A Food Standards Australia New Zealand investigation concluded that “hemp does not have any psychoactive properties”. It said it didn’t identify any safety concerns about consumption and that hemp seeds were a nutritious food containing sizable amounts of protein, polyunsaturated fats and dietary fibre. Hemp Oil Hemp seed whole, hulled or crushed for oil are used in food products such as muesli bars, cakes, breads, biscuits, butter paste, non-dairy milk, tofu, cheese and ice cream. The seed oil is a superior cosmetic oil and both the essential and cold pressed oils are used in many cosmetics (such as shampoo, soaps and moisturisers). The cold pressed seed oil has nutritional qualities similar to evening primrose oil, cod liver oil, flaxseed oil and soybean supplements. Hemp Fibre Hemp is one of the most versatile plants to be grown by man. Some products made from the fibre include: all grades of paper, textiles, geo-textiles, structural reinforcement building materials, fibre glass replacement products, lightweight sandwich boards, composite boards, absorbency products such as kitty litter, potting mix, nappies and feminine-care products, and fuel. Hemp Fuel Hemp offers a valuable and sustainable fuel of the future, “growing oil wells”. Hemp has an output equivalent to around 1000 gallons of methanol per acre year (10 tons Biomass/acre, each yielding 100 gal. methanol/ton). Methanol used today is mainly made from natural gas, a fossil fuel. Methanol is currently being studied as a primary fuel for automobiles. Henry Ford dreamed that someday automobiles would be grown from the soil. The Ford motor company, after years of research produced an automobile with a plastic body. Its tough body used a mixture of 70% cellulose fibres from Hemp. The plastic withstood blows 10 times as great as steel could without denting! Its weight was also 2/3 that of a regular car, producing better economy. Henry Ford was forced to use petroleum due to Hemp prohibition. His plans to fuel his fleet of automotive vehicles with plant-power also failed due to Alcohol prohibition. |
|
Hemp thru History
Until 1883, more than three quarters of the world’s paper was made from Hemp fibre;
In Elizabethan times, farmers were fined for not growing Hemp;
A Hemp crop produces nearly four times as much raw fibre as an equivalent-sized tree plantation;
Trees take approximately 20 years to mature. Hemp takes 4 months;
Hemp fibre needs no pesticides;
Hemp needs no herbicides because it grows too quickly for any weed to compete;
Hemp paper does not need chlorine bleach, which pollutes rivers near wood-pulp paper mills;
Hemp paper is stronger, finer and longer-lasting than wood-based papers;
Hemp paper is used for bank notes and archival papers;
The earliest-known woven fabric was apparently of Hemp, which began to be worked approximately 8,000-7,000 BC;
For more than a thousand years before the time of Christ until 1883 AD, Cannabis/Hemp was our planet’s largest agricultural crop and most important industry for thousands of products and enterprises, producing the overall majority of the earth’s fibre, fabric, lighting oil, paper, incense and medicines, as well as being a primary source of protein for humans and animals alike;
The war between America and Great Britain in 1812 was mainly about access to Russian Hemp;
Napoleon’s principle reason for tragically invading Russia in 1812 was also due to Russian Hemp supplies!
The word ‘linen’, until the early 1800s meant any fine fabrics made from Hemp or flax;
Cannabis oil was mentioned by name in the Bible. Apparently, etymologists at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, confirmed that ‘kineboisin’ (also spelled ‘kannabosm”) referred to cannabis used in a holy ointment. N.B. King James mistranslated the word as ‘calamus’ in his version;
Hempseed oil is said to burn the brightest of all lamp oils, and has been used since the days of Abraham. Scythians used to purify and cleanse themselves with Hemp oil, which made their skin “shining and clean”;
Our forests, what is left of them, are being cut down 3 times as fast as they can grow.;
Further, hemp fibre has been found to be a lighter, stronger alternative to fibreglass;
Until 1883, more than three quarters of the world’s paper was made from Hemp fibre;
In Elizabethan times, farmers were fined for not growing Hemp;
A Hemp crop produces nearly four times as much raw fibre as an equivalent-sized tree plantation;
Trees take approximately 20 years to mature. Hemp takes 4 months;
Hemp fibre needs no pesticides;
Hemp needs no herbicides because it grows too quickly for any weed to compete;
Hemp paper does not need chlorine bleach, which pollutes rivers near wood-pulp paper mills;
Hemp paper is stronger, finer and longer-lasting than wood-based papers;
Hemp paper is used for bank notes and archival papers;
The earliest-known woven fabric was apparently of Hemp, which began to be worked approximately 8,000-7,000 BC;
For more than a thousand years before the time of Christ until 1883 AD, Cannabis/Hemp was our planet’s largest agricultural crop and most important industry for thousands of products and enterprises, producing the overall majority of the earth’s fibre, fabric, lighting oil, paper, incense and medicines, as well as being a primary source of protein for humans and animals alike;
The war between America and Great Britain in 1812 was mainly about access to Russian Hemp;
Napoleon’s principle reason for tragically invading Russia in 1812 was also due to Russian Hemp supplies!
The word ‘linen’, until the early 1800s meant any fine fabrics made from Hemp or flax;
Cannabis oil was mentioned by name in the Bible. Apparently, etymologists at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, confirmed that ‘kineboisin’ (also spelled ‘kannabosm”) referred to cannabis used in a holy ointment. N.B. King James mistranslated the word as ‘calamus’ in his version;
Hempseed oil is said to burn the brightest of all lamp oils, and has been used since the days of Abraham. Scythians used to purify and cleanse themselves with Hemp oil, which made their skin “shining and clean”;
Our forests, what is left of them, are being cut down 3 times as fast as they can grow.;
Further, hemp fibre has been found to be a lighter, stronger alternative to fibreglass;
|
|
|
