What is Hemp?

To really understand what Hemp is, you have to first understand what Cannabis is. There are three main varieties of Cannabis: Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis. The Sativa and Indica varieties contain high levels of THC and are used for medicine and recreational purposes. The Ruderails variety has low levels of THC and is a very small plant with small flowers. Ruderalis is only used to create the Hemp variety. Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis Sativa plant that is cross bread with the Ruderalis variety. The result is a plant that looks like a Sativa, and has low THC like the Ruderalis. Hemp is the same plant as Cannabis Sativa minus the THC. The reason why the Sativa strain was used to make the Hemp variety, is because it has a long thick stalk. The stalk and the seeds is what is important. Cross breeding is nothing new. Man has been making different varieties fruits and vegetables for a long time. For instance, a Grapefruit is a cross between and orange and a pomelo. The outer fiber of the Hemp stalk is used to make paper and clothing and the inner stalk (Hurd) is used for building materials. When the female Hemp plant is pollinated it produces seeds which are high in Omega fatty acids and protein. The seeds can be used to make Hemp oil and protein powder. 

The name Hemp is used when describing either psychoactive Cannabis that makes you high or non-psychoactive Hemp. The name Hemp is generally used to describe both.
Very confusing hey?

Hemp originated in Central Asia and spread to China, India, Europe and eventually North America. It is believed that Cannabis has been around for millions of years. For more than 10,000 years Cannabis has been used for medicine and food. The history of Hemp goes back to 8000 BC where the Chinese used Hemp to make paper and textiles. The Chinese were the first people to discover the medical uses of Cannabis. Cannabis is called Mai by the Chinese meaning,plant with two forms or two sexes. Back then and even today, Hemp is used for medical, religious and social practises. Every day new uses for Hemp are discovered.

The history of Hemp

Hemp fiber is the strongest and softest natural fiber on the planet. Hemp is superior to cotton in every way possible. Hemp yields more product then cotton and less land is required to grow Hemp. Hemp does not need harsh chemicals to grow it. Hemp is naturally disease and mold resistant. The Chinese were the first to learn the art of making paper. Paper invented by ancient Chinese in the 2nd century B.C. and spread slowly to the West. The U.S. Declaration of Independence was written on Hemp paper. Before we has petrochemicals, plastics and synthetic drugs, Hemp was used to make these products and many more.

Christopher Columbus brought Hemp seeds from Europe to North America so if they got ship wrecked along the way, the crew would have a food source of food. Christopher Columbus traded with the Indians and provided them with Hemp seeds to grow crops.

Before the 1930s Hemp oil (psychoactive Cannabis) extracts were used to treat everything from menstrual cramps to migraine headaches and even cancer. Hemp is making a huge come back...again. As people learn of it's usages and that the plant is not evil and scary as we were led to believe from 1930 to present day. The U.S. banned Cannabis / Hemp production in 1937 because Hemp was in direct competition with greedy industrialists. Hemp threatened the pharmaceutical, oil, paper and textile industries.

The first Ford car was originally designed to run on fuel made from Hemp and the plastics were also made from Hemp. Hemp plastic is 10 times stronger than steel and doesn't bend or buckle like steel. Plastic today is half oil from the ground, half chemicals. Hemp plastic is bio-degradable unlike the plastic we use now. There are many kinds of Hemp plastic; from standard plastic reinforced with Hemp fibers, to 100% Hemp plastic made from Hemp oil. Hemp fibers make the plastic stronger and lighter. Now we have carbon fiber to replace what Hemp plastic used to do.

New uses for Hemp are being discovered often. Today body builders are switching to Hemp protein powder because it is pure with no chemicals. Hemp protein is generally the left overs  from pressing the oil out of the Hemp seeds. The oil is pressed out of the seeds using “cold press” technology, this way, the oil and it nutrients are preserved.  Currently many manufactures of seed oil (soybean) use chemicals to extract the oil. Houses are made from Hemp hurd (the inner core of the stalk) and lime to produce a concrete like wall structure. Sound proofing and fire retardant insulation can be made from Hemp fibers. Hemp is also made it’s way into the high performance sports car manufacturing. The Lotus Elise body panels are being made out of Hemp fiber because the material is light weight and strong.

Hemp seeds contain all of the necessary components for human life. Hemp is high in protein and contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Hemp is rich in Omega fatty acids and contains vitamin E and trace minerals. Every part of the Hemp plant is edible, the leaves and stems, the flowers and seeds. Consuming Hemp oil is the best way to get all of the benefits from the plant.

Hemp is the most non-toxic plant on Earth. Hemp oil is the best natural moisturizer there is. I have used Hemp oil as a moisturizer myself. The main benefit I noticed was that Hemp oil seems to lift dead skin off of healthy skin, with no need to exfoliate the skin as Hemp does it all for you. Hemp oil is a natural anti inflammatory and a natural  antibiotic when consumed orally. When Hemp oil or Hemp Hearts are consumed on a daily basis it can help with a variety of health problems.

Below is a short list of aliments that Hemp/Cannabis have a beneficial effect on...
Acne, addiction, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, angina (chest pain), angioedema (swelling under the skin), arthritis,  antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anxiety prevention, appetite stimulant, asthma, migraine headaches, spinal cord injury, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autoimmune diseases, bipolar disorder (mental disorder), blood thinner, bronchodilation (widens airways and eases breathing), burns, cancer (all types of cancer including skin cancer), candidiasis (yeast infection), circulation improvement, constipation, cough, detoxification (removal of toxins), diabetes, digestive aid, diuretic (improves urine flow), dystonia (muscle disorder), energy metabolism, fatigue, gastric acid secretion stimulation (increases stomach acid), general health maintenance, genitourinary tract disorders (disorders of the reproductive and urinary systems), hair growth promoter, heart disease, high blood pressure, hormone regulation, immune suppression, increased muscle mass, increasing breast milk, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), intermittent claudication (pain in arms or legs due to inadequate oxygen), interstitial cystitis (bladder disorder), irregular heartbeat, leukemia (cancer of blood cells), lipid lowering (cholesterol and triglycerides), liver protection, lymph flow enhancement, menopausal symptoms, muscle relaxation, nausea and vomiting, nerve disorders, neural tube defects (birth defects), osteoporosis (bone loss), painful menstruation, pregnancy and labor, psychosis, rheumatism (joint disease), sedative, sexual performance, skin conditions, stomach spasms, stroke, tendinitis, uterine stimulant, varicose veins, vitamin C deficiency, weight gain (patients with HIV or cancer), wound healing.

Hemp cultivation is banned in the United States however the rest of the world marches on with it’s use. Hemp cultivation and production is wide spread throughout the rest of the world. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not cultivate Hemp.

Other articles of interest
Dispelling the Myths That the Myth Makers Make
Renewing Your Cannabis Prescription
CBD and Inflammation
Nationalizing Medical Marijuana
Cannabis and Diabetes
Five Reasons Why Cannabis Will Never Kill You
Consuming Raw Cannabis
Migraine Headaches
What is Hemp?
What is Hemp?