Industrial Hemp Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Industrial Hemp - Essay Example Since 2007, the commercial value of hemp has grown tremendously. Today it is considered to be the fastest growing bio mass ever known to exist. It produces around 25 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. In modern agriculture a normal average yield is tipped to be 2.5-3.5 t/ac. As a crop, hemp is also very environmentally friendly and does not require many pesticides or herbicides. Contemporary research has not focused much on soil fertility and hence there is very little data available on that front. Results and analysis show that a high yield of hemp may lead to high yielding wheat crop. Hemp is hence one of the most ancient domesticated plants that ever existed. (Citizen) There are various varieties of Hemp out there. There is cannabis sativa, sativa vary. And sativa. These are grown for industrial use whilst on the other hand sativa indica is generally known to have poor fiber quality. Its primary purpose is for use for recreational purposes and for medicinal drugs. Talking ab out the differences in the plants at chemical level, their major difference rests in the amount of tetraydrocannabinol that is genetically produced in the plants. It is secreted by epidermal hairs called glandular trichomes and can be easily made out on genetical grounds. (Melody) There are some oil seed and fiber varieties of cannabis as well. They have been approved for industrial hemp production and can produce very little amount of psychoactive drug. They don’t produce any physical or psychological effects. On the global scale China is the leading producer of hemp. It is also produced in Europe, Chile and Korea. Benefits and Many Uses of Industrial Hemp: Hemp is used for reasons that are manifold. It is said to produce above 50,000 products in the United States itself. These include the manufacture of textiles, cordage, and nutritional products. Cordage can be produced in varying tensile strength. The bast fiber is normally blended with some other organic fibers for insta nce flax, cotton and silk. These are used in the production of apparel and furnishing and have cotton and hemp in the ratio of 55:45. However 100% pure industrial hemp can also be used. It is just that more commonly it is blended and mixed with cotton. The two fibers inside the hemp tend to be woodier. Because of their characteristic properties they are used commonly in non-woven items, mulch, litter and animal bedding. (Alberta) Hemp is also used in the production of oil-based pained, as a moisturizing agent in creams, for cooking and even in plastics. Basically, the oil present in the seeds gets oxidized when exposed to air. This helps in the extraction of oil and the use of Hemp in oil based products. Hemp seeds have been very fruitful in their use as bird seed mix and now they are also used to make fishing bait, Food: The chemical composition of Hemp seeds is very interesting. They contain essential amino acids and essential fatty acids which are important for a healthy balanced human life. These can seeds can be eaten raw, can be cooked with meal, and even made into hemp milk. This milk is used to prepare tea and in baking. The fresh leaves of hemp are also eaten in salads by many. Some of the most popular products made via hemp include cereals, waffles, nut butters and hemp tofu. There are some companies who try to gain more value out of industrial hemp. They try